Tempered Stone
by Splint
Summary: In Steel City, Brother Blood and Professor Chang, cook up something that could shake the world to its knees. As the Titans East find themselves against one of the biggest threats they've ever faced, they get help from a very unexpected ally. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

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"Is it ready?"

In a dark room somewhere in the depths of Steel City, There is a strange happening. A crew of men dressed in white jumpsuits and weird looking gas mask were setting what looked like a long metal coffin. The coffin was not really a coffin at all but was shaped so. It had tubes and wires running from its sides hooked up to several machines all on top of a wheeled rack so that it could be moved. God knew what was inside.

One of the men in the white jumpsuits looked towards the source of the questioning voice and gave a silent nod in affirmation. From where the voice came from in the shadowed corners emerge the figure of Professor Chang.

He was once a big time arms dealer that would sell all sorts of hi-tech weapons over the black market. However, business has been slow over the past few months, thanks to a famous bunch known to the world as the Teen Titans. Chang had been degraded to obscurity and he was regarded by most of the underworld as a failure.

He seethed at the thought of the Teen Titans as well as a few other people in his past that caused his demise. But now things were finally looking up. He had a new gig. Something that can bring him back to the top. He was thankful that someone out there recognized his great potential as a weapons manufacturer. Now that someone was his new partner and together they were building a weapon that can be used to hold the world hostage.

Everything had gone smoothly. Most of the major components of the weapon have been completed and was in the process of being assembled and all the other components were well on their way to completion. Now they just needed to transport one of the most vital parts of this operation to a safer location.

Chang looked down on the coffin. He smiled. He knew what resided inside slumbering away. He reminisced a bit on the whole process of him coming across this fine new treasure. It wasn't easy, that's for sure but in the end he managed to grab his prize without much trouble at all. He looked back to his men who were waiting for his orders.

"Transport it carefully," he said to them, "We do not want to damage the delicate thing. Once you reach the…'location' my partner's men will see to it that it is brought to a safer place."

The white suited men all nod.

"Oh, and one more thing," said Chang, "Take this with you…as a precaution."

From out of the shadowed corners emerged the figure of a man. The man was about six feet tall with an athletic build. He wore a plain black shirt, plain black khaki pants, and plain black running shoes, His face was emotionless like that of a mannequin. His head was completely bald. Slung on his back was a long sheath hiding what looked like a sword.

"He should provide you with an extra hand or two incase you-know-who shows up. We want to avoid any conflict with them if we can help it, understand? Now go, and do your job well."

The white suited men gave one last nod and moved out. They began to push the wheeled cart supporting the hi-tech coffin into the far side of the room. There was a truck there. It looked like an ordinary truck, one used by local companies to make large deliveries. The men opened op the back and loaded the coffin onto the truck's back. The back's door closed hiding the coffin and a few men inside acting as safeguards.

The remaining two men, one was the man dressed in black, hopped aboard the front cab. After the two front doors are closed the truck's engine started. Ahead of the truck the garage door was remotely opened allowing the truck to leave the building into the nighttime scene of the city.

Chang watched as the truck moved out into the open until the garage door came back down to cut it from view. Chang still had a few lingering worries. Everything up to this point has gone without a hitch and all the signs point to smooth sailing till the end. But Chang knew better. He knew from painful past experiences that there is always a hitch, always something that can go wrong, that _will_ go wrong. No situation is perfect.

He knew this badly. And as much as he wanted to hope for smooth sailing, he knew he had to prepare for the worst case scenario, and, like the true evil genius he is, he did prepare. He rolled out an all new line of gear just for this operation. He knew as well that he was outside his territory. Here he was facing a new bunch of enemies, though not the same as his old adversaries, just as dangerous.

Sooner or later, these new enemies of his will eventually try to stand in his way and try to ruin all that he has worked for. But when that time does come, he was not going to make it easy for them.

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Steel City.

The industrial capital of the east coast. It wasn't the prettiest city in the world granted but it had a fairly rich economy. One look at the city from a distance and you would know what it was all about. There was a factory every ten blocks from each other and the air rang of clanging metal in a form of music only this city could appreciate.

The main reason people like this city is that you can never run out of jobs here. Were there is a factory, there's a business. Where there is business, there is work. This city probably has the biggest labor force in the entire country. Those who can't make it big in the world immediately usually come here to get a start. Because of this abundance of work, the city thrives.

Big businesses like this city for it's availability of laborers and the people who need work readily welcome them as a source of personal income they need to support themselves and their families.

Unfortunately, the booming economy of the city has invited as well a host of unwanted residences. Villains and criminal masterminds have tried to cash in themselves on the plenty on resources that this city has produced often harming innocent people in the process.

One such example is speeding across the streets at that moment.

The delivery truck driven by Professor Chang's men sped down the street. They were careful to stay under the speed limit so as not to attract any unwanted attention. It was night and the police usually double their security efforts during the night. The driver took it slow and steady making sure his vehicle doesn't look too conspicuous.

They were also making sure to use all the main roads along with the most of traffic. After all, a delivery truck driving around on the back roads in the middle of twilight would be really suspicious. All these extra precautions may have worked to make sure the truck was not detected but it did make for a longer trip especially since the place where they were going was all the way across town. They arrived at their destination about an hour after they set off.

The place where they were supposed to go to was a closed down factory near the outskirts of town. It was recently closed down due to a major technical problem wherein one of the building's water pipes burst and caused a factory wide short circuit. While the company is looking for people to repair the damage, the place is basically vacant. It wasn't to be vacant tonight that's for sure.

Upon passing the gate, The driver of the truck vaguely noticed a security guard that was tied-up and gagged at the mouth and unconscious on the floor of the gate's security booth. The truck continued inside the factory where the door was already open. The truck entered the darkened interior of the factory floor. Up ahead the truck's headlight caught a glimpse of the factory's current occupants.

There was a squad of six men up ahead dressed in a gold and black armor that is reminiscent of wasps. They were armed with some hi-tech looking rifles. The men were flanked by four robots that basically looked like giant chicken drumsticks, with the fat end for a head, with arms and legs. Call them drones. They all stood at ease as the truck pulled up to them. It was expected to come.

One of the wasp-armored soldiers walked up to the truck just as the engine died and the driver stepped out. The met face to face. Neither said anything to the other for a while.

"Is the package in the back?" asked the armored soldier.

The man in white nodded. "Yes it is."

With that, the armored soldier looked back to his colleagues and signaled with his head. The rest of the wasp-armored soldiers along with the drones made their way to the back of the truck. They opened the door to see the inside and met with the other mean in white. Together they all lifted the hi-tech coffin to the ground where they could move it in an easier manner.

The man in black that has accompanied Chang's men all this time stepped out of the front passenger seat and onto the factory floor. The wasp leader saw him and looked at the man suspiciously. The man in black simply stood in his place and stared emotionlessly. The wasp leader looked back at the man who was driving the truck.

"Who is this guy?" he asked.

"Just a little added protection," said the driver, "You never know who might show up."

"You got that right!"

That voice was neither that of the driver, the wasp leader, or anyone else of the evil crew. They all looked at the direction of the factory entrance and the source of the voice. One of the drones turned around faster than the rest. It was immediately greeted with the sight of an exploding arrow flying towards its face.

The arrow made impact and the drone exploded in a mesh of wires and broken circuits. The body fell flat on its back. Finally alerted to real danger the wasp-soldiers and the white-suited henchmen readied their weapons. They looked in the direction where the projectile came from. For them it wasn't a welcome sight.

Standing in the open entrance were the five famous heroes of the Titans East.

Bumble Bee. Former top student of the infamous and nefarious Hive Academy and an expert in cybernetic engineering. Dawning a special cybernetic bee-suit that allows her to fly freely in the air as well as change her size to as small as one-one hundredth her original mass yet allows her to maintain her normal strength.

Speedy. Master in archery and weaponry, expert tracker, and an expert survivalist. Trained under the guide of the famous Green Arrow himself and with years of crime-fighting experience he is the equivalent of a whole army battalion all wrapped up in one convenient package.

Aqualad. Prince of the seas, possessing physical strength and fitness exceeding that of the average human being. Able to telekinetically control water freely and able to telepathically communicate with marine life make him a adversary not to be underestimated.

Más and Menos. Pint-sized speedsters, when they come into contact with each other they are able to move at incredible speeds. Their super speed allows them to run hundreds of circles around their foe before their foe even know what's going on.

The Titans were standing ready in their place. The bad guys were getting nervous, understandably.

"Nice little party you guys got goin' here," said Speedy, "I'm kinda disappointed you didn't even send us an invitation."

"Whatever it is y'all are up to ends right here and now!" said Bumble Bee.

The villains responded in the following manner: they all readied their weapons and aimed them threateningly at the Titans East.

"Éstos que los tipos nunca aprenden lo hacen ellos?" said Más.

"Supon que sólo tendremos que enseñarles la misma lección vieja" said Menos.

"Whatever you guys said," said Aqualad, "I think I can agree."

"Titans, go!" ordered Bumble Bee.

The Titans scrambled in different directions just as the villains began firing, the wasp soldiers with their hi-tech rifles and the white-suited henchmen with their taser rods. They missed the Titans by miles, who were already converging on them. The villains, realizing their plight, decided to split up themselves and take on the Titans separately.

Bumble Bee came up against two men in white. She was flying around the air while the two men tried shooting her down with their taser rods. She was way too fast for them to hit and they were simply blasting towards the ceiling.

"Nice toys you got there, fellas," said Bumble Bee, "Let me show you mine."

Bumble Bee took from her waist her own personal pair of tasers. They were shaped in a sharp letter 'B' that reflected the heroin's name sake. With them, Bumble Bee blasted towards the two white-suited men at their hands. Call them stingers. The bolts from Bumble Bee's stingers hit the white men's hands and forced them to painfully drop their taser rods.

Bumble Bee holstered her stingers and flew down at the two men. One of the men saw her coming towards them. As she approached he readied his fist. She came within range and the henchman swung wildly towards her. To his surprise, Bumble Bee suddenly disappeared from sight and his fist hit nothing but air.

He stumbled forward and fell flat on his face. His partner behind him seemed to just look around dumbly in search of the missing Titan. He heard a 'psst' towards his right side. He turned that way and saw a minute Bumble Bee hovering in the air.

Bumble Bee rush forward and gave the baffled bad guy a swift kick to the nose. Since she is able to keep her strength at any size, the kick was still powerful enough to knock the henchman on his back and out.

The henchman who tried to swing at Bumble Bee recovered and was now on feet. He quickly turned around but was immediately greeted with one of Bumble Bee's stingers straight in the gut. He was immediately fed with about a couple hundred bolts of electricity which caused him to convulse as sparks flew in and out of his head. He collapsed on the ground soon after. Bumble Bee stood, full sized, proudly, blowing off the smoke from her stinger.

On the other side. Aqualad was fending off the remaining three drones. One of the drones charged Aqualad with its claws. Aqualad leapt into the air and somersaulted over the drone and landed behind it. Another drone came at him with a claw. Aqualad managed to catch the claw and use his Atlantean strength to catapult the drone towards the other that charged him earlier. The two drones crashed into a heap on the floor.

The last drone grabbed Aqualad from behind and tried to bear-hug him to death. Aqualad resisted as best he can which prevented him being crushed. He managed to break free from the drones grasp and toss the offensive robot over his head like a soccer ball being thrown back into the field. The drone landed in the heap along with the other two.

The drones were quickly recovering. Aqualad looked up at the ceiling. He found something he liked. He looked back down and smiled at the drones which have recovered to the feet. The drones' armor shells were cracked in many places.

"You guys really need to cool down," said Aqualad, "and I know a good way to do that."

Aqualad raised an arm to the ceiling. Above them, the many pipes that composed of the sprinkler system began to violently shake. The piped burst and shot forth a stream of water that quickly snake down to Aqualad's outstretched palm. It gathered into a large ball of water.

"As they say here on the surface-world: Batter up!"

He threw the ball of water towards the three damaged drones. The water impacted them with the power of a freight train and the three drones almost instantly broke apart and what ever was left short-circuited in the water. Aqualad stood victoriously.

The twins, Más and Menos were running circles around some of the wasp soldiers and white-suited henchmen who were desperately trying to get a shot at them but not having much success. The two speedsters were just to fast to hit. Más and Menos would occasionally trip, kick or punch the offending soldiers and henchmen.

With in a matter seconds the whole bunch of the soldiers and henchmen were sprawled on the floor, holding or clutching damage areas of their bodies. They were conclusively out of the fight. Más and Menos stood on top one another looking over the sprawled bad guys.

"¡Tú no tienes una posibilidad para ganar aginst los este de Titans!" they said together, "Ríndete ahora y guardar un racimo del pesar a ustedes mismos."

From the far side of the two, the wasp leader and the driver aimed their respective weapons. They both shot their weapons to the floor where the twin speedsters stood. Their shots hit nothing but floor. The wasp leader and the driver looked dumbly at the spot then at each other.

"Estamos aquí, señor," said Más and Menos from the right of the two villains. The wasp leader and the driver quickly re-aimed their weapons and fired. Too late though as the twins sped of in a red and white blur.

"No, ¡aquí!" said the twins to the left. Again the two villains re-aimed, fired and missed as the twins speed away.

"Tú te estás poniendo más tibio, señor," the twins said from behind. Once again the two villains re-aimed, fired and missed as the twins speed away. They were getting really annoyed.

"Hold still you annoying little pests!" demanded the wasp leader.

"Si tú lo dices, señor," said Más and Menos who happened to appear standing on either soldier of the wasp leader.

The wasp leader froze up with surprise. The driver on the other hand was already noticing the twins and did the first thing which came to his mind. He aimed his taser rod regardless of the wasp leader's presence. The wasp leader's eyes grow wide under his helmet and opened his mouth as if to object to the driver but it was too late.

The driver shot at the wasp leader in hopes of hitting the annoying twins. But the twins quickly sped away leaving just the wasp leader. The red lightning bolt that cam from the white-suited driver's taser rod hit the wasp leader right in the face. The wasp leader convulsed in shock as a stunning wave of electricity flooded through him and then collapsed on the floor unconscious.

The driver just looked at what he done feeling kinda dumb for the mistake he made. While he was in the middle of thought, Más and Menos came up from behind him and tripped him. The driver fell on his back flat on the floor. A second later, two pairs of feet were barreling down on the driver's face. He tried to scream but was soon knocked out as the four feet made impact.

Más and Menos hopped of the driver's face to examine their work. The seemed satisfied.

"¡Muy bien! ¡Ése es cómo le hacemos a mi amigo aquí!" they said.

Meanwhile, Speedy was in and out from behind random machines in the factory floor as he was dodging fire from the remaining soldiers and henchmen. The soldiers and henchmen were couldn't quite get a good shot of speedy since he wouldn't stay out in the open too long and would quickly duck back behind cover.

Speedy ran towards a large block-like machine. He ducked in on one end, while behind the machine quickly stooped, draw two arrows and place them on his bow, Then quickly doubled back and aimed around the corner he came in from. Naturally, the bad guys were expecting him to come out the other end so they didn't see Speedy right away.

Speedy aimed carefully and let loose the two arrows. In mid-flight, the tips of the arrows blew open into boxing gloves. The gloved-tipped arrows hit two of the unsuspecting bad guys right in the face. The two villains fell flat on their back, completely knocked out. Two down, four to go thought speedy to himself.

The villains finally noticed Speedy's true position and began firing on him. Speedy ducked behind his cover and began running again. He ducked in and out of cover too fast to be hit. In a part where there was a wide gap between two machines, Speedy leapt sideways while quickly drawing an arrow into his bow. As soon as he was out in the open he quickly aimed and fired on one of the villains.

The arrow turned into a glove-tipped arrow in mid flight and knocked out a henchman as the arrow smacked him in the face. One of the wasp soldiers decided to try a new strategy. He took something from his belt that looked like a grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it to where speedy would be.

The grenade exploded and littered a bunch of debris on the floor. The bad guys waited for a moment to see if the young archer was actually hit by the explosion.

"You guys couldn't hit the ground if you dropped an anvil!" said Speedy's voice from above.

The men looked up and found Speedy on one of the maintenance walkways aiming another arrow. They couldn't react in time as Speedy launched the arrow towards them but not directly at anyone. Instead the arrow hit the floor and exploded into a cloud of blinding smoke.

The men inside the fog coughed and heaved as the smoke invaded their lungs putting them in a very vulnerable position. Speedy leapt off his perch and down into the smoke cloud. After disappearing into it, sounds of hitting and jabbing and a few yelps of hurting sounded from the cloud.

When the cloud dispersed, Speedy stood triumphantly while everyone else was sprawled all over the floor in agony.

"Well that was fun," said Speedy, slowly turning around, "now where can a guy get a can of soda around here—Whoa!"

Speedy narrowly avoided being cut in half by a broadsword by jumping backwards at the last second. Speedy got up quickly and looked at the guy who just tried to slash him in two. It was the bald man in black holding a very intimidating broadsword. The sword was at least six feet in length and about seven inches wide all the way to the tip.

Speedy got into a ready fighting stance and drew an arrow. The rest of his team gathered behind him. The man in black stared emotionlessly at them.

"Hey, Speedy," called out Aqualad, "who's your new friend? Never seen him before."

"Me neither but when I'm done with him his own mother won't recognize his face."

Speedy launched a glove-tipped arrow towards the man's face. It hit. The man didn't move. He barely even flinched. Speedy and everyone else's eyes grew wide.

"Talk about hard-headedness," said Bumble Bee.

The swordsman charged the team. They all scrambled to get out of his way or rather the path of his broadsword. The sword managed to hit nothing at first, luckily. The man looked around for the Titans. Aqualad was the first one he saw.

The Atlantean prince was to one side of the man in black. He telekinetically summoned water from the pipes under the floor. The floor cracked open ands burst forth a torrent of water which Aqualad gathered into a water whip and used it on the swordsman. The swordsman barely reacted as the water beat on his body, an ordinary human would have succumbed by now.

The swordsman fought against the water and charged Aqualad, sword swinging down. Aqualad jumped to the side to avoid the blade that fell through an idle conveyer belt. The sword dug deep into the machinery and was stuck for a moment.

Más and Menos took this opportunity to attack. They sped towards the swordsman and hoped to get a few hits in before he could yank his sword free. To their surprise, the swordsman yanked the sword free from the machinery with relative ease and quickly swung in a wide horizontal arc at the twins. Más and Menos went wide-eyed and split-up at the last second to avoid being cut, Más hopped over the blade while Menos slid under.

The twins sprawled on the floor after that evasion technique. The swordsman was about to pick them off before he received a few explosive impacts on his back. He looked behind him. Bumble Bee had her stingers ready and Speedy had an arrow ready.

The swordsman turned completely around to face the two. The two Titans fired at will. The blast from Bumble Bee's stingers seemed to have no effect and neither did Speedy's shock-arrows since they were skillfully being parried away by the swordsman. One arrow actually stuck on the swordsman's forehead. Speedy and Bumble Bee thought the fight was over by then but the swordsman didn't even register the thousands of volts of electricity flowing into his cranium.

The swordsman grabbed the arrow and forcefully yanked it from his forehead. He tossed the still sparking projectile away like trash. His face was unscathed. The swordsman held his sword at ready once again. The swordsman charged at the two. Speedy shot one last arrow, a smoke screen arrow, towards the ground at their feet. It exploded and covered both him and Bumble Bee in a cloud of smoke.

Just as the swordsman entered the cloud of smoke, Speedy and Bumble Bee leapt/flew out evading the lethal blade. They regrouped in an area far from the smoke cloud. They were soon joined by Aqualad and the Twins.

"No way that guy is human!" declared Speedy.

"Tiene razón," said Más and Menos, "Necesitamos una mejor estrategia."

"We need to find his weak spot and exploit it," said Bumble Bee.

"Think he'll tell us if we ask him what that would be?" Aqualad asked sarcastically.

Just then, the swordsman leapt a great distance into the air out of the dispersing smoke cloud. He came barreling down on the Titans with his heavy broadsword. Thinking fast, Aqualad called water from the water pipes in the floor directly below him. The floor cracked open and released another powerful torrent of water which pushed the swordsman back into the air.

While the swordsman was helplessly flailing in the air, Speedy loaded an explosive tipped arrow on his bow and took aim. He waited for just the right moment and launched the arrow. The arrow flew like a missile and hit the swordsman right in the face. Simultaneously, the swordsman was forced to let go of his sword. He fell and crashed to the ground on his back, actually leaving a crater where he impacted.

The swordsman got up and greeted the Titans with a little something new. The Titans went wide-eyed at what they saw. His face was gone, at least his 'human' face. What was left was a robotic equivalent of a human skull. As the swordsman got up, it was clear his arm was dislocated. Upon noticing this himself, the swordsman took his working arm, grabbed the broken one, and yanked it hard back into place with showing any sign of discomfort.

Speedy was right. It was clear now that this guy was an android. The Titans took careful note of the fact that his skull is exposed and vulnerable.

"It's time to put this guy down permanently," said Bumble Bee, "Aqualad, give him a drink!"

"Roger that!" Aqualad gathered water into a ball and threw at the androids exposed cranium. The water forced its way into the android's face as the water ball impacted. As the water worked its way into the androids systems, the outcome was predictable. Already he started to convulse uncontrollably.

"Looks like it's working," said Speedy, "He's starting to short-circuit!"

"Let's help him along shall we!" said Bumble Bee.

Bumble Bee drew out one of her stingers. She aimed it carefully and fired a blast of concentrated electricity. The blast nailed the android right in the exposed face. The extra charge accelerated the destruction of the android's internal systems. Soon enough the android's body began to explode in several areas until the whole of it's body simply melted away into a heap of metal and plastic.

Bumble Bee twirled her stinger and slung it back on her belt. "That's how we do it here in Steel City."

"¡Eso era excelente!" said Más and Menos.

"Well now that the fun part is finished, we ought to get down to business," said Aqualad casually walking over to inspect the bad guys, "First question: why were they here?"

"I told you guys already why they were comin' here didn't I?" said Speedy walking towards the truck, "it was to make an exchange. That's what all the sources we had pointed to."

"Then what were they exchanging? And who exactly are these guys were dealing with here?"

"Well it's pretty obvious that these guys are under Blood's payroll," said Bumble Bee as she hovered over the bodies of a few knocked out wasp soldiers, "I don't know about these Darth Vader wannabes though. You guys got any idea on them."

"I think they look familiar, like something I saw in a file somewhere," said Aqualad, "I'll run their profiles in the Tower's database later. Now about that thing they were transporting…"

"It's this thing," said Speedy looking over the strange metallic coffin that was sitting idle near the back of the parked truck.

Más and Menos pulled up on the other side of the coffin opposite of Speedy. "Oooh, una caja de matal misteriosa de alguna clase. Muy intrigante y también muy curioso. Debemos investigar esto inmediatamente."

"Yeah, what they said," agreed Speedy.

"Okay then, we're taking that thing back to the tower for a closer look," said Bumble Bee.

Outside, the familiar sounds of police sirens were progressively getting closer. The Titans momentarily looked to wards the entrance that opened to the outside. They could see, although distant, the flashing red and blue colors of police vehicles.

"Looks like the cavalry's arrived" said Speedy.

"Then that means we're done here," said Aqualad, "What do you all say we go home?"

They all nodded in agreement. They made their way towards the entrance to leave, their mysterious 'prize' in tow.

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In a hidden underground lair, sometime later in the night.

"What did you say!"

Brother Blood was screaming into a video phone inside his personal office. On the other end of the line was Professor Chang who showed a great composure even though his partner in the conversation seemed to be a little on edge at the moment.

"I think I was quite clear during the first time I said it," said Chang's image on the monitor, "The Titans East intercepted the exchange and took away the package from the hands of my men and yours."

Brother Blood was practically seething. This could potentially be a major setback in the plan. He was wracking his mind trying to figure out how this could have happened.

"How was this possible," rambled Blood, "We were so careful in making sure we wouldn't be detected. Are you sure you took every precaution, Chang?"

"I did. But I have stressed this before: no set-up is perfect. You know how much trouble I had to go through to get al the equipment and all the men we need to this city and you know the bigger the set-up the bigger the risk. There was a great potential for leaks as I came here and any one of them could have been exploited by those brats. And do not forget that the leader of the Titans East herself is a former student of yours. She may have used her knowledge on your facilities to get vital information."

Blood was rubbing his forehead out of frustration. "Well none of that matters now. The point is we need _it_ back as quickly as we can get it back."

"I agree but I don't believe it is as simple as you say it, my friend. Remember who we are dealing with here."

"Without the key ingredient, our little project won't go anywhere. It won't function unless we can steal back the that which has been stolen from us."

"We simply cannot break in to their fortress and grab the package. You were able to break in at one time but your ability to do so has long since passed, Am I right? We neither have the resources nor the opportunity to regain our asset."

"…Then what do you suggest?"

"Patience. Opportunities will arise sooner or later. Why waste our time and effort. Let them have it for now. They have no idea what it is worth or how we plan to use the asset. By the time they do figure everything out it would have been already too late for anyone to stop us."

Blood took a moment to think about what Chang said. He grinned. "I see your point. I'll be patient. But when the time comes that we should make our move, I think we are going to need more than one of those new fangled androids you have, Chang."

"Oh, do not worry about that, my friend. I have plenty more where those came from," Chang chuckled, "Very, plenty more…"

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Titans' Tower: East

Just like its more western counter part, the tower of the Titans East stands sentry over the city known as Steel. It is one of the most technologically advanced structures in the world. And just like its western counter part, it harbors the famous Titans East, Steel City's first line of defense against all those who bring evil into this city.

At first, The Titans East's first and only mission was to stop Brother Blood during his reign here in Steel city. After that mission became a success, no small thanks to the original Teen Titans, the city started to clean up after itself and it's economy soon blossomed. This brought out a rise in the criminal population making the Titans East's presence here all the more vital.

Now the tower and the Titans will probably become a permanent landmark of this city, providing it with security and the preservation of peace.

Inside one of the engineering bays of the tower, all five of the Titans East gathered. They were all focused on the same thing: the large metallic coffin they retrieved from the bust earlier in the day. It had not been damaged in the fight nor was it ever disturbed. Still the question of 'what was it exactly?' was still an issue.

Bumble Bee was scanning the box with a couple of instruments that were handy in the room. She seemed to be looking for possible booby trapping on the object if there were any to begin with. A couple of minutes have passed already and she didn't seem to have found anything worth mentioning.

Aqualad was leaning over the coffin trying to take a closer look. They knew it was a container of some sorts and had something worth looking at inside. The Atlantean was looking for some kind of handle or switch to open the thing but not having much luck.

Más, Menos, and Speedy were standing idle on one side of the room along side some emergency stuff like a handy fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. They knew that the insides could be possible volatile so they were taking precautions. They kept a close watch over the object as Bumble Bee and Aqualad worked.

Bumble Bee was the first to break the silence. "Well guys, it looks like it's safe to handle. My sensors didn't see anything too dangerous."

"That's cool," said Aqualad, "But I still can't find a way to open this thing."

"Want me to get the blowtorch?" said Speedy.

"Dude, don't even joke like that. We still don't know the contents of this thing and we want to go through this as delicately as possibly. Aren't you curious about what's inside it, man?"

"¡Sí!" answered Más and Menos.

"Speak for yourselves, little guys," said Speedy.

"You saying you already know what's inside?" asked Bumble Bee.

"Nope."

"They why'd you say you're not curious?"

"What's to be curios about? We don't know what's inside of it, yeah. But it'll probably turn out to be some obvious thing like a big gun, or a bomb, or Jimmy Hoffa, or something. So no, I'm not curious one bit."

Meanwhile, Aqualad finally found something. "Hey, I think this is it!"

"What you find?" asked Bumble Bee.

"Looks like a key hole. It seems to be the only way to open it. Problem is we don't have a key."

"Let me take a crack at it," said Speedy. He walked up to where Aqualad was looking down at near one of the coffin's ends. He took out a lock pick kit from his utility belt. One of the things that were taught to him under the Green Arrow was how to pick a lock. He became a master at it in no time and the ability has proven quite useful in many occasions.

Speedy bent down close to the keyhole and began to work with his picks. "Okay, here we go… a twist here… a tug there… and carefully… got it!"

There was a load click from the keyhole just as Speedy finished. The click was soon followed by a bunch of mechanical humming sounds. Alerted, Speedy and Aqualad slowly backed away from the thing for caution's sake. After a short while of humming the coffin began to open automatically. The top cover split in the middle and folded upward then down to the side along with the side walls. Both ends also folded down. The inside was covered in a thick white mist of cold gas.

The Titans waited for the gas to clear to see what was inside. After it did they got a surprise.

The contents of the coffin was the almost naked body of a girl, her most private parts were covered only by several bandages wrapped around her body in some areas. Her petit figure barely filled the area which she was lying on. From the looks of her she was still young, somewhere around her mid-teen years. She was unconscious

The Titans took an even closer look. They then got a bigger surprise.

"Whoa," said Aqualad, "No way!"

"It can't be…" said Bumble Bee.

"Esto es imposible," said Más and Menos.

The girls round face, small nose and long flowing blonde hair. Her already mentioned petit frame of a body with its light fair skin. The Titans recognize her. They knew who she was and they stared in awe. The girl that was lying there in front of them, sleeping as if the world was standing still.

Terra.

"Okay…" said Speedy, "…Now, I'm curious."

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. But I did come up with this one location.

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On the outskirts of Steel City.

There is a mountainous region just outside the city borders to the west. Nothing but rock as far as the eye could see. It was one of the more prettier sights within the territory of Steel City. Great place to take postcard photos. But the story is not happening anywhere on or above the mountains. Instead, the real story was happening underneath them.

Near the center of the vast mountain range was the tallest peak, False Vulcan. Named after the roman god of fire. Why the unusual adage in the name? It's because during its first discovery the mountain was named Vulcan's Peak because it looked like and was thought to be a volcano (it had a big crater at the top). Later findings discovered that the mountain was not a volcano, it just looked like one.

Nobody is really sure how it got that look. The most popular theory is that a cave near the top must have collapsed which caused a sinkhole to form at the peak and centuries of erosion have since expanded it. Because of this, it was renamed to False Vulcan, one who imitates the fire god. It became sort of like a landmark for explorers to visit.

This location is supposedly dead, geologically and volcanically speaking. But the truth is it was very active indeed. Deep within the mountain's base, hundreds of meters underground, something evil was brewing. Inside the mountain was a gigantic underground facility. Where hundreds of men worked to create a new weapon to literally bring the world to its knees.

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Inside the massive facility itself.

Brother Blood was walking down one of the many maze-like corridors than ran all through-out the facility. He was currently walking towards the center of the facility. The hallway he was walking on ended in pair of double doors. Brother Blood didn't even slowdown as he approached and as he finally reached the end the doors automatically opened up for him.

It opened into a walkway with a railing. As Blood reached the edge of the walkway he looked down into a truly massive space. The walkway Blood was standing was raised closest to the ceiling that was a hundred feet above the walk way itself and circled around the whole space. The gigantic space itself was circular, like a tube. It was big enough that one could probably fit Buckingham Palace in here.

The whole space wasn't empty though, far from it. It was filled walkways and other platforms jutting out of the walls where there were computer terminals, robotic construction arms, and lots of men working. Blood looked down on the men. There a lot wasp soldiers and a lot of drones even some white-suited henchmen all working together.

Blood looked away from below him to directly in front of him. Jutting out of the ceiling pointing downwards was a gigantic needle of some kind. Think something like the top of one of Taiwan's Patroness Towers only upside down. The needle was pointing down a hole in the ground directly below it. The hole in the ground was a tubular pit that ran for more than a mile into the earth.

Brother Blood stared at all in front of him with a hidden sense of pride. This was his brainchild. His latest arsenal in his goal for world domination and all that. It took him quite a while to conjure it up but all the effort will pay off big time once the weapon itself was fully operational.

GeoHammer. That was the designation they gave it. With the combined efforts of himself and Professor Chang they managed to bring this concept to life. In the concept, the weapon had the ability to directly manipulate the Earth's internal mechanics to create pinpoint geological anomalies on any designated location by the user's will.

In short, it makes earthquakes wherever and whenever the user wants it. It didn't stop there however. Having direct control over the Earth's geological mechanics may also allow the user to manipulate meteorological events. That means whoever holds this weapon can have complete control over global ecology.

Brother Blood knew the vast potential of such weapon like GeoHammer. With it, he could hold the world hostage and demand absolute power. With what he was wielding, he knew no-one would dare challenge him. No-one could. Once the weapon fully operational, the world would be his oyster.

But there was a problem.

The weapon could not be completed just yet. While it is possible to finish the construction of the weapon itself, it can't operate without the key element. Blood knew what that was and he knew what happened to it. Chang did a wonderful job of preparing it but as soon as it was suppose to come in Blood's custody, they both lost it to the Titans East.

Because of that little incident, they were forced at a halt with nothing to do. Blood hated this thought as much as he hated the Titans themselves. But he couldn't argue with the logic Chang had provided for him. He said they needed patience and he was right. They had to wait for an opportunity.

Blood turned around and walked back towards the double doors and back into the hallway he was walking earlier. As he did, his train of though focused on his new partner, Professor Chang.

Chang was an unusual character to say the least. Blood has used his help before, albeit unwillingly on Chang's part. But now they were mutual partners in this latest scheme. Blood needed Chang's genius to bring his concept of a weapon to fruition. Chang needed Blood's resources to fuel his efforts.

Blood had little respect for Chang as a friend but he did respect and revere the man's genius. He knew Chang's ultimate goal was not world domination like him. He just wanted to build weapons that he can show-off to the world so he could prove just how dangerous he really is. That's just fine for Blood and their arrangement. Chang would build weapons and Blood would use them to hold power.

Together, they will rule this world. But there is one last obstacle standing in their way. Blood swore to himself that that obstacle will be the first of many that he will crush into the earth.

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Titans' Tower: East.

Bumble Bee walked down the hallway. She seemed deep in thought with her arms crossed and a hand under her chin. She wasn't particularly paying attention to where she was going or in what direction she was going in. All she was thinking about is how whack this day is turning out to be.

She was just leaving the medical ward. After the events of last night, it was a unanimous choice that Bumble Bee would be the idle person to handle the new guest resident considering the nature of said guest's…'wardrobe', Bumble Bee was the best, and only, choice for the task. God knows none of the guys volunteered.

"Well I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by this so much," she said to herself. "When I signed up for this gig, I never really expected for a _normal_ day, did I?"

It was then that she actually remembered where she was supposed to be going. Everyone else was in the main room waiting for her to make a report about their new _guest._

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In the tower's main room.

The morning sunrise was just breaking the horizon coloring the ocean and the tower a brilliant gold sheen. Inside, the Titans were lounging in the main room. The sun's rays were just penetrating their front window bathing the room in a nice golden hue.

Speedy was sitting on the couch near the wall examining one of his arrows. Aqualad was in the pool idly floating on his back. Más and Menos were at a nearby coffee table playing checkers. They were all silent and waiting.

They all seemed to have a feel of anxiousness around them as if they were simply waiting for something to happen. They hadn't gotten much in terms of sleep and they haven't even eaten breakfast yet. After the events of last night, they couldn't bare to even go to bed. What would have been a routine bust started to turn into something bigger.

Eventually a mechanical hissing sound was heard and all four boys immediately sprang from their relaxed places and looked towards the source. Bumble Bee had just walked in through the door leading into the main room. Almost instantaneously, the twin speedsters, Más and Menos, were at her feet inquiring in Spanish.

"¿Cómo está? ¿Está lastimada? ¿Se ha despertado? ¿Qué debemos hacer ahora que está aquí?" they said really fast.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there little guys," said Bumble Bee, even trying a little Spanish that she knows. "Don't be in such a rush, a'ight? Umm…No sé tan apresurado."

"Yeah guys, chill already," said Aqualad walking up to them.

"Still, I too would like a good helping of answers right about now myself," said Speedy also walking up to the group, "How is she now, by the way?"

"She's still asleep. I got her down to the medical ward and she seems fine. No external injuries, or signs of illness, none I could detect, anyways. Generally she's in good health."

"So tell us, Bee, is she really who we think she is?"

Bumble Bee nods. "Yup, biometrics confirmed it. She is Terra, former member of the Teen Titans. I compared her initial profile with picture file we have in the database then I started to compare fingerprints and DNA samples. All of the test pointed in the same conclusion."

"…Well I guess it's safe to say this case just got a whole lot bigger."

"¿Qué representas junto a eso tú?" inquired the twins

"Speedy's right," said Aqualad, "I mean, this raises a whole new set of questions. And this case was already unusual to start with."

"Yeah, it was," agreed Bumble Bee, "For instance, we know Blood had escaped from jail about a month ago and has a new set-up now."

"And he has this new partner, Professor Chang was it?" continued Speedy, "and we can surmise that their both up to something big and were not sure exactly what at the moment."

"Well, she was under the custody of Blood and Chang when we found her," pointed out Aqualad, "You guys think _she_ is involved with this somehow?"

"Sí, eso es correcto. ¿Pero es una cómplice a ellos?" asked Más.

"¿Quién oye hablar de tales cosas, mi hermano?" said Menos.

Bumble Bee understands the twins' inquiry. "They're right. What exactly is Terra to Blood and Chang."

"Are you asking whether she is a victim or a… you know?" inquired Aqualad.

There was a moment of silence as the team contemplated this question. They all knew some facts about Terra. Facts that are usually not known by the public. The official story received by the public is that Terra was brainwashed by Slade and forced to work for her until she finally broke free of his control and sacrificed herself. The people seemed to want to believe that story better. But the Titans knew some of the painful truth.

Speedy broke the silence. "C'mon guys!" everyone turned their attention to him, "We all know that this girl has a particularly…colorful history, that much is given. But try to remember what she did in the end. Can we really be suspicious of her under such pretences we barely know anything about this latest scheme of Blood's, much less her involvement in all this. We have to give her the benefit of the doubt. We can't blame her for a crime we don't know she's committed."

The others took a long and quiet moment to think about what Speedy said.

Aqualad spoke up. "I think Speedy has a point. We can't jump to any conclusions just yet. We need more time and more evidence before we can paint a clear picture. Plus, we can spend all day asking questions about Terra, but we really won't get anywhere unless we can ask her ourselves."

"Pero si no sabe nada mismo? Empezaríamos de la nada otra vez y no nos gusta esa idea," said the twins.

"Well, if that's the case then we'll just have to roll with punches," replied Bumble Bee, "Don't worry so much fellas, we've been there before, we always manage to pull off something. Who knows, she might actually turn out to be a big help to us."

"It what manner?" asked Speedy, "Like an informant or maybe even a…team member?"

"Ummm… let's not get our hopes up for anything at the moment. We usually end up with mud on our faces if we rush on anything."

"So, since we can't do anything at the moment, what should we do now?"

There was a moment of silence.

Then the twins broke the silence with: "¡Desayuna!"

Speedy looked at the two, then he smirked. "Breakfast it is then! Who wants waffles?"

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In the recluse of her dreams.

"_You have had doubts in the past, made mistakes."_

She hovered over the prison courtyard. She knew where her targets were waiting. She lifted both arms into the air. Instantly, three pillars of earth break through from the three towers of the outer wall. On the pillars stood her three targets: Plasmus, Cinderblock, and Overload. She hovered down at their level and tossed a small disk to each of them. The disks attached immediately and whatever minds these monsters possessed were now under remote control. She smiled in satisfaction.

" _But all that is behind you, isn't it?"_

Raven charged at her with four glowing red eyes trying to ensnare her with random objects. She has her back to the wall as the Raven nearly reached her. She summoned streams of mud from below them to form into two giant hands which grabbed onto Raven's cloak and started to pull down. Raven resisted all she can. She summoned even more streams of mud to form into arms, grab at Raven and pulled her down. She watched satisfyingly as Raven finally disappeared below the mud with one last desperate gasp for air.

"_You belong to me now don't you?"_

She was waiting from above, watching as Robin and Starfire combated Cinderblock. The two Titans managed to push the behemoth into the pit below. Now was her chance. She threw down the gigantic rock she was telekinetically carrying with her down upon the oblivious Titans. As she descended, Starfire notices at the last second and pushed Robin out of the way. The brave act had cost Starfire and she received the attack, was knocked-out, and fell to the sea. She floated away on the unconscious Cinderblock, laughing as she heard Robin scream out Starfire's name.

"_From this day forward, will you serve me and me only?"_

Beast Boy and Cyborg had just finished off Plasmus and had the mutant on its knees. She chose that moment to strike. With her powers, she caused a huge crack in the earth to form underneath the two Titans. They were taken by surprise. Cyborg fell first and managed to shoot out his hand with a grappling wire. Cyborg's hand managed to grip the edge of the floor but soon lost that grip. He fell into the abyss with a scream.

"_Will you obey my every command?"_

Beast Boy was hanging on to a ledge along the wall of the impromptu ravine. Beast Boy looked up and saw her. He begged for her to stop her actions but she couldn't care any less about him at the moment. Her eyes glowed bright gold and the chasm started to close around Beast Boy forcing him to let go of his grim and fall into the void of the earth.

"_Will you fight at my side forever?"_

Robin did his best against her, trying to convince her of the wrong in her actions. But she didn't have an ear for anything that he said. Robin was at his knees worn out and unable to continue fighting. She was just toying with him now. She would throw a boulder at Robin but would intentionally miss by a hair's width. Robin would do his best to jump away wasting more of his energy. She has had enough with him now. She stood over him, declared her hate for him, and dropped a boulder on top of him.

"_And, will you destroy the Teen Titans?"_

"I thought you'd never ask," she replied.

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In the medical ward.

"Aaaaahhh!"

The blanket that was coving her flew into the air as Terra shot out from her bed with a scream, eyes wide as dinner plates and panting heavily. She was instantly sitting up on whatever bed she was lying on a while ago. Beads of sweat were running down her forehead. Her heart rate must be at least two hundred and fifty beats per minute right then.

Terra allowed her self a moment to recover. She eases herself as best she can. She forces her breathing to slow and her pulse to go down. She clutches her head and shuts her eyes as she lets all tension subside into nothing. Slowly but surely, her calm managed to come back to her and the initial shock of waking up like she did was disappearing. The dream she had was already fading away.

Terra let out one last long and heavy breath as if to exhale all her anxiety out of her. She blinked once or twice to restore her vision. She ran a hand through her long blonde hair in order to fix its tangled strands. She finally got her calm back. But just as she was clearing away one anxiety, another started to come upon her.

Terra looked around and everything was unusually…white. She first inspected her self in detail. She didn't recognize the cloths the was wearing. She saw that all she had underneath was a simple pair of shorts and all that was covering her was a hospital gown without a backside.

Terra looked down from where she was sitting up from. It was a bed, that much was clear. It was a plain white spring mattress on a steel frame just like what is usually used in hospitals and other medical facilities. Around her, she could recognize various medical tools but they don't seem to be that of standard medical equipment.

The girl then concluded that she was in some kind of clinic or something so she inspected herself more closely. She felt around her body doing a primary survey. No external injuries as it would seem. She didn't feel any pain either. She was alright for now.

Terra tried to search her memory for a reason why she's here. The last thing she remembered was the cave. The volcano was about to erupt, Slade fell into the molten pit, Everything was crumbling to pieces and the Earth was shaking madly, The Titans were running out and Beast Boy was---

"Aargh!"

All those memories caused her migraine to come back momentarily. She clutched her temples with both arms again. She forced the thoughts out of her mind and regained her composure. She let out her anxieties with another long sigh.

After she recomposed herself, Terra put her mind back at the present situation. Her natural curiousness took over as she tried to explore her surroundings again. Taking a bold step, she got out of her bed and stood on the floor. Only then she remembered that she was barefoot as the cold floor sent a chill up her legs and spine. She shook it off quickly. Slowly she walked to the door

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Outside the medical ward.

The door slid open and Terra walked out into a really big hallway. As she walked out of the hospital type room, Terra knew that she was in no place that was familiar to her. The walls, the floor, the ceiling were not giving away anything that allowed her to recognize them out of memory. Immediately she was overcome by a very familiar fear, something she had been used to by now: The fear of being lost.

She managed to push down that fear into the deep parts of her mind so it would not hinder her in anyway. She proceeded down the wide hallway. Unsure as she was she knew that she wouldn't end any better if she just stayed where she were.

She was already uncomfortable as it was but the situation with her peripherals was not helping any. She was in a plane white hospital gown and nothing underneath but a pair of shorts plus she was walking on a metal floor with bare feet. The hall was very cold and she found herself shivering. She hugged her self and rubbed her hands together every now and then trying to keep as warm as possible.

The hall was moderately lit which made her easy to find her way. But she knew that it meant the building she was in was in use…by occupants. What would she do if she ran into somebody while wandering aimlessly like she was? She didn't want to worry herself so much so she pushed away those thoughts away along with the fear. She pressed on.

She passed hall after hall taking random turns where she found them and took caution to make sure she was not spotted by any surveillance cameras though she found none. She took caution with every door she came across not knowing what or who was on the other side. Almost all the doors she saw would lead to the same kind of room she was in awhile ago. Other rooms seemed to serve other purposes like storage. She tried her best to try and remember where she was but nothing rang a bell. Besides, whenever she tried to remember anything, all she saw was that cave where she---

She didn't finish the thought. She didn't want to.

All that wandering around and she still hasn't found anybody yet. She doesn't know whether she should be delighted or even more worried. Along with other people, she has yet to find an exit, which was her top priority at the moment. Eventually she stumbles onto something that is familiar: An elevator door. She lingers in front of it for about a minute or so. Terra made up her mind and pushed the call button to the side.

Moments later the elevator opens. She doesn't go in immediately. She peeks inside to see if there are any surveillance cameras. There were none she could see. She walked in holding the side of the door as she did. Her hand slipped as the doors suddenly started to close and she accidentally pushed one of the floor buttons. When the doors closed the elevator started moving. She looked to see which button she pressed. It was the 'R' button which entailed 'roof'. She was going up.

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The elevator doors opened after a few moments. Immediately after the doors often, Terra was greeted by a high wind that slapped her in the face. She quickly covered her head with her arms. The wind died down after a while and Terra was able to go outside. She is momentarily blinded by the morning sun but the sun soon hided behind some clouds.

The first thing that Terra saw made her eyes grew wide. Directly in front of her was the vast ocean that stretched into the horizon. Nothing but water in the direction of the rising sun. Terra stepped forward and closer to the edge of whatever building she was on. She looked over the edge and found out she was at least a dozen or so stories above the ground.

She turned around. She saw the face of a cliff a couple hundred feet away from the opposite edge and rising about a hundred feet above the building's peak. Over the cliff, she saw the city. The city was nothing she recognized. There were dozens of smokestacks, high rises, and loud sounds of factories and mills. She couldn't help but ask the obvious question.

"Where the hell am I?" she asked into the wind.

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Author's Note. Firstly, a big thanks to all those who reviewed me. I never expected to get so much just for the first chapter. Secondly, I'd like all you people to note that this takes place after the fifth season's final episode 'Things Change'. If things seem confusing, don't worry. Everything will become clear in much later chapters.

I've also decided to change the rating of this story from 'K+' to 'T' due to planned story developments. As always, Please R&R.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: same thing I said in the last chapter.

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Somewhere in the tower's hallways

Speedy was walking down the hall at a leisurely pace. He was also whistling a familiar tune as he walked. Where was he particularly going at the moment? He was on his way to the medical ward. On his way to check up on the Titans East's new guest.

They had all just finished breakfast a couple minutes ago and Bumble Bee decided that someone should check-up on Terra. Speedy volunteered, or should it be said that he _was_ volunteered. He was in the process of chugging down his glass of orange juice when Bumble Bee made the request and everyone else at the table said: "Not it."

So here he was on his impromptu assignment. He didn't mind that much really. It just annoyed him how he is usually the guy everyone else keeps being conned into these kind of things. Oh well, he didn't have anything better to do this morning any way.

He reaches the door leading to the particular room that Bumble Bee said she used. He pressed the electronic switch on the side of the door and it slid open. He walked in and went all the way to the back behind the curtain. He slid the curtain aside to reveal the bed and…nobody was there.

He stood there looking dumbly at the empty bed for a few moments. Then he started to notice stuff. Like how the bed is unmade and the blanket was sprawled on the floor and the mattress's cover is a bit roughed up and the pillow was sunk in the middle.

Speedy reached for his communicator. He pushed the call button.

"Yo, Bee, can you read me?" he said into the communicator.

A few moments of static then came Bumble Bee's voice. "Yeah, I read you, Speedy. what's up?"

"Uh…can you say to me again what room you put Terra in?" asked Speedy while walking backwards towards the door.

"Room M-03 of the medical ward. Aren't you there yet?"

"Well…" Speedy exited the room and looked up at the plaque above the door. It was labeled 'M-03'. Somewhere in the back of Speedy's mind, a mental alert sounded off indicating to Speedy that something was not right.

"Is there a problem?"

"…Possibly…"

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In another area of the tower.

She decided to forget about everything else at the moment. The only thing that mattered top Terra at the moment, as she was running madly down the cold hallways of her unfamiliar prison, was to find a way out. The fear of being lost has finally consumed her at that moment. She had to get away from this place. She had to escape…somehow.

She just came down from the roof via the emergency stairs instead of the elevator. She opened the first unlocked door she could find while descending the stairs which was about three stories down. She opened it and ran into the hallway just trying to find a way out.

She made so much turns as it was that she didn't care to count or to remember if a she was actually going anywhere. She was in a panic at that moment trying but failing to keep control of her impulses. She was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath as soon as it left her.

She turned a corner, ran a distance, then skid to a halt. On the fork ahead of her, she heard the familiar pitter-patter of footsteps. She started to walk backwards, getting nervous. After a while a shadow finally creeps around the corner. Terra didn't stick around long enough to see who it was. She turned around and ran the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Aqualad peeked out of the corner. As he was coming out of the turn, he barely got a glimpse of long blonde hair flying around the far corner ahead of him and the hurried pitter-patter of dashing feet. A thought came to mind.

"Hey!" he screamed towards the fleeting figure and began to give chase.

He pulled out his communicator in the middle of his run and spoke into it. "Titans, this Aqualad. I've spotted her on level fourteen. She on the move and I'm after her. Get here as soon as you guys can!"

He didn't bother to wait for a confirmation from the other if they got the message. He was in a hurry. He chased after the fleeing girl as best he can but despite his Atlantean physic he wasn't that much of a runner. He did spend most of his life kicking water after all.

Terra was ahead of him by about forty or so yards. She tried to loose him by turning every single corner she could find in the maze like hallways. Somewhere in her mind she wondered why someone would plan a building like this with so many confusing passages. She then thought it was probably a security measure of some kind to confuse people who weren't used to the building…like herself.

"Hey, stop!"

That came from behind her. Terra didn't dare look back and only did her best to run faster. She turned a corner again. This particular hallway, as she saw, had doors. Thinking quickly, she reached for the closest door she could get to and pressed the switch to open it. As soon as the door opened she slipped inside and closed it.

Just as that happened, Aqualad turned the corner to find nothing but an empty hallway. Imaginary exclamation points and question marks popped in and out over his head. The girl was gone.

"How the…where'd she get to?" he asked himself and ran ahead hoping to try and catch her again soon.

Meanwhile, inside whatever room she entered, Terra was listening beside the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she had evaded her pursuer for the moment. She got up from where she was crouched next to the door to get a clearer view of the room. It was a dimly lit room filled with shelves and racks holding a whole lot of boxes and cases containing assorted stuff. Terra concluded it was a storage closet of some kind.

Terra noticed that there was another door on the opposite side of the space she was in. She began walking towards it. She hoped the door would lead to another avenue of escape and maybe she could finally find a way out of her predicament.

She suddenly stopped as she suddenly heard a voice coming from the other end of the door. Slowly, the door she was heading for slowly opened to reveal Bumble Bee speaking into her communicator. Bumble Bee walked in without looking up at first.

"I'm here at level fourteen, Aqualad," said Bumble Bee into her communicator. She looked up and didn't see anything in front of her but stacks of boxes and cases on the shelves.

"She gave me the slip just now," replied Aqualad's voice from the communicator, "She could be anywhere. Keep an eye out, Bee."

"Roger that," said Bumble Bee then pockets away her communicator.

She hovers forward looking around the dimly lit room. She didn't see anyone in particular. All she saw was stacked box after box and a multitude of shelves with more boxes. They still had a lot of stuff left over from the tower's construction and they really didn't know what to do with all that extra junk. So everything was mostly cluttered inside this room. Bumble Bee made a mental note to find a way to get rid of all this clutter in the near future.

Bumble Bee floated all the way to the other door and made to exit. As she reached the door, she turned around and took one final look around the store room. Not a soul in sight. She then exited the room through the door and everything was quiet again.

Behind one of the many stacks of boxes and cases, Terra got up as soon as she was sure she was alone again. It was luck that she was able to duck behind one of the stacks just as that other girl came in. It seemed that Terra wasn't noticed so the other girl moved on. Terra sighed again and went for the door opposite where she came in from and exited the store room.

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In the elevator.

There was Speedy, Más and Menos. They were currently on there way up to meet with Bumble Bee and Aqualad. Speedy was on the communicator and the twins were simply looking up at him waiting for something to do.

"Do you guys have a fix on her yet?" inquired Speedy into his communicator.

"Not yet," came Aqualad's response.

"She managed to give us the slip up here," concurred Bumble Bee.

Speedy let out a frustrated sigh. "Look here guys, I don't think were gonna get anywhere like this. I say we should split up."

"Sounds good to me," replied Bumble Bee.

"Works for me too," said Aqualad, "Let's all look in different floors. Anyone spot her call to confirm with the rest."

"Got it, over and out." Said Speedy closing his communicator. He then went to the elevator controls and pressed the 'Stop' button. Elevator stopped and the doors opened into the eight floor. Speedy then looked down on the twins.

"Alright you guys," he said to them, "We should split up here. You guys search this floor and work you way down. I'll go ahead upstairs and work my way up. You got that?"

"¡Tú puedes contar con nosotros!" the twins said in unison. Más then hopped on top of Menos's shoulders and the two sped off out of the elevator.

Speedy watched the two disappear in a blur of red and white before pushing the 'close doors' button on the elevator. After the doors closed he pushed the button for the ninth floor and waited paitiently for the elvator to reach there. While alone he said to himself: "And here I thought this morning couldn't get more interesting…"

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On the ninth floor, there was a large indoor Zen garden.

It was a huge space occupying about half the whole space of the ninth floor. It was suppose to be another gym area during the conceptualization of the tower but during its final periods to completion the plans were spontaneously redrawn.

It was Cyborg's suggestion actually. Everyone seemed to be into it and offered no objections. Titans' Tower in the west coast had plenty of space for gardens outside on the island. However Titans' Tower East had little to support a large garden on the rocky crags of the island that supported the tower.

So they decided to use up the extra space in this floor to create a Zen Garden, Japanese style. It had everything. White sand with patterns, stone pathways, large towering stones, a small wooden Japanese style house for meditation, a cherry blossom tree in each corner, a couple of Buddha sculptures here and there, and even a little pond and stream that surrounded (like a moat) and went through the middle of the space where there are a few Japanese coy fish swimming around. There was also an arcing wooded bridge rising over the stream. The walls and ceiling even have corresponding paintjobs and lighting

Though none of the Titans East was Japanese by nature or origin, the indoor Zen Garden still provided for some good relaxation and meditation. Plus it provided a sense of style to the tower.

The double doors the lead into the garden opened up. Terra hesitantly walked into the large indoor garden. Almost immediately she was in awe by the sight. She had only seen places like this in magazines and travel books. She has seen a few such gardens in real life but none this scale. She heard that this was a good place to relax but relaxation was the farthest thing from her mind right now.

She moved forward into the garden, following the stone pathways since the sand annoyed her bare feet. She was at least thankful it wasn't as cold here as it was in the air-conditioned hallways where she was practically shivering all the way. She took in as much of the warmth as she could.

She spent quite some time running around the garden looking for an alternate doorway. As beautiful as the garden was, Terra did find one thing that did not appeal to her about the garden: there wasn't a backdoor. The place had only one entrance and exit and that was the door she used to get in here.

This was bad, she told herself. Terra knew that coming in here was a mistake. It was a room with one door which meant that she would have no avenue of escape if worse came to worst. She had to get out and find another way around, and fast. She's trapped in here if she stays.

She rushed to the door she used to come in through and exited the room. She ran down the hallway to where there was a fork up ahead where she would try the other route to take since her last choice was not good. Just as she reached the end of the hallway, her eyes grew wide and she skidded to a stop. She actually slipped and fell on her butt.

By amazing coincidence, Speedy had come from the adjacent hallway and showed up right in front of Terra just as she was about to reach the end of the hall. Speedy stopped in his tracks to acknowledge the girl. Terra, on the other hand, got up and ran down the opposite direction and back into the garden.

"Hey, wait up!" called out Speedy to the fleeing girl and soon gave chase. He also pulled out his communicator and practically yelled into it. "Guys, I found her. We're in the Zen Garden. Get over here, pronto!"

Terra dashed back into the garden but then realized her mistake. As she had feared just earlier she was trapped. No other way to go. She was truly trapped and that was something that made her really nervous. Being trapped, above all else was her biggest fear.

"Hey!" she heard someone call out to her. She looked behind her and saw the masked archer in red and yellow. She gave in to the firs instinct that took over which was to run. She went even deeper into the garden.

"Wait!" called out Speedy, "I just wanna tal--!"

Speedy was interrupted by a blur of red and white that rushed pass him. The blur went into the garden and stopped in front of the fleeing Terra who gasped and fell on her back in surprise. The red and white blur materialized into Más and Menos standing on top of one another.

They pointed aggressively at Terra and barked orders at her. "¡Detente y se rendir a usted mismo, ahora! Somos el este de Titans y te ordenamos--"

Terra yelled out. "Leave me alone!" She lifted a golden glowing palm towards the twins. From behind her, several stepping stones that were on the pathway lifted into the air surrounded with a golden aura. The stones then rocketed towards the twins.

"¡Ten cuidado!" they both yelled out as they jumped in opposite directions to avoid the converging pieces of stone.

Terra quickly got back up. Both her hands and her eyes were now partially glowing in gold. She had reached her limit here in the garden. She knows she can't escape now. He only choice was to make a stand. They were not gonna take her easily.

Terra looked behind her and saw Speedy who was wide-eyed and looking a little nervous. She knew if she was going to get out of here, she was gonna have to push him and anybody else out of her way. She lifted a glowing palm towards him and several other stepping stones lifted off the ground and shot towards Speedy, one by one.

"Yikes!" gasped Speedy as he dodged the first volley by rolling onto the side. The second volley was coming at him soon after. Speedy quickly slung an arrow on his bow and shot it towards the volley of golden glowing rocks coming at him The arrow's tip exploded into three long steel cables that spun like a fan. As arrow met the flying stones, the spinning cables pulverized the stones into dust.

Terra was about to prepare another volley of rocks when Más and Menos finally recovered and ran around her in a blurry red and white ring. As they did the kicked up a lot of sand and gravel blinding Terra in a cloud of white.

Terra soon regains her composure and uses her powers to take control of the flying sand particles. Using the sand in the air and under their feet, Terra lifted the twins off of the ground into a sand tornado of her making. The twins were separated and helplessly flailing around, screaming.

"¡No nos gusta el esto!" they both yelled in mid air.

Terra then threw her arms out ward and the two speedsters went flying in separate directions. The both landed in the sand on their backs with resounding 'oofs'.

Terra dropped her hands down and they stopped glowing along with her eyes. She was getting tired. Aside from all the running, the fact that she hasn't had any nutritional fill for who knows how long was getting to her. She could hear her stomach rumbling and she could feel the strain on her muscles, her head getting dizzy, and her legs caving in. She can't take much more of this.

"Hey, you can't do that to us!"

Terra turned to the side and saw Aqualad a distance away readying to spheres of water he took from the pond. Terra pushed the fatigue aside for the moment and readied herself as best she can.

"I'm trying to be nice here," said Aqualad, "Just give up and we'll just calmly--"

Her hands started glowing and stepping stone started to lift off the ground. Aqualad acted first by tossing both of his water bombs at her. Terra thought quickly and made the stones come together to create a shield of stone. The water bombs made a strong impact but wasn't enough to break her defense. Terra countered by shooting her floating stones at Aqualad.

Aqualad tried to counter the volley of stones by summoning a whip of water from the nearby artificial stream. The whip was affective in destroying some of the stones but three particularly large ones were still heading his way. Aqualad's dark eyes went wide.

Fortunately for the Atlantean, three explosive arrows, care of Speedy, impacted the flying pieces of earth and disintegrated them all on impact. Speedy stepped up next to Aqualad and took a ready position.

Terra went down on one knee. The fatigue was setting in again only much worse this time. The hunger and thirst was getting to her and she couldn't cope with it for much longer. She was running on nothing else except adrenalin and sheer determination but still, she was reaching her limit and things were not looking good for her at all.

She composed herself and stood back up. She raised a glowing hand into the air summoning more stepping stones off of the ground. Speedy and Aqualad on the far end prepared their own arsenal. Speedy wasn't as keen on it as Aqualad was and hesitated to think for a moment. Terra was about to launch an attack on the two boys when something to the side drew her attention.

"Hey, lay off 'em!"

Terra turned her gaze to the side and saw Bumble Bee charging at her. Bumble Bee un-holstered her twin stingers and aimed at Terra. Terra reacted by calling on the floating stones at her disposal to form a stone shield between her and Bumble Bee. Bumble bee let out a couple of blast from her twin stingers towards Terra.

The shield of stone Terra created between them blocked all of blasts from Bumble Bee's stingers. Terra counter-attacked. She broke apart her shield and shot individual stones towards Bumble Bee in rapid succession.

Bumble Bee went wide eyed. She thought quickly and shrunk her self down to the size of a golf ball and flew back wards swerving in and out avoiding the comparatively massive stones that were heading her way. She managed to dodge all of the incoming stones then returned to normal size after the stones crashed into the sand behind her. She flew towards Terra like a missile.

Terra saw her first attack fail and tried it again with the remaining stones she still had in the air. Her hands and Eyes started to glow bright gold and she threw her hands forward towards Bumble Bee. All the stones that were still in the air shot towards Bumble Bee all at the same time.

Bumble Bee narrowed her eyes and thought up quickly of what she was going to do to evade. Se found an opening in the stones. She spontaneously shrunk herself down to the size of an actual bumble bee. She flew through the opening with ease and emerged on the other side full-sized again.

Bumble Bee narrowed her distance between Terra to a mere ten feet and less than a second of reaching her. In that critical fraction of a second, Terra reacted in instinct by suddenly lifting her hands up, glowing extra bright. In that same instance, a pillar of white sand shot up from directly bellow Bumble Bee and shoved her high into the air and back away from Terra.

"Who-o-o-oa!"

Bumble Bee flailed around in the air out of control and with no orientation. As she fell back down to earth, Más and Menos suddenly appeared from below her and tried to catch her falling figure. She fell right on top of them and kicked up a bid cloud of white sand and dust. When the sand cleared, Más and Menos were pinned down on their bellies by Bumble Bee's groaning figure.

Terra dropped her hands and they stopped glowing along with her eyes. Her vision suddenly got blurry for a minute there and her head was aching. She could feel her sugar reserves burning away. She shook it off and did her best to regain her composure. She stood as ready as she could though not ready enough.

She was caught off-guard as a sphere of water impacted right next to her feet. The resulting blast from the water bomb was powerful enough to launch her off her feet and on her butt in the white sand.

"Ugh!"

Aqualad, Bumble Bee, Más and Menos converged around her but kept their distance. Terra was trying desperately to get up once again but was noticeably struggling. Speedy seemed to be the only one who noticed this as he gradually lowered his bow and arrow.

Miraculously, Terra managed to stand up on two feet again, albeit a little shaky. Terra willed more of the remaining stepping stones into the air along with the larger towering stones. The Titans readied their mitts.

It looked like the apocalypse was about to come down right on the spot. Everyone was about to come down on everyone else when…

Speedy yelled out. "Enough!"

Everyone froze in their tracks. They all stared at Speedy.

"That's enough, all of you!" he continued, "We're not enemies here!"

The Titans East heard the massage clearly and responded correspondingly. Bumble Bee slowly lowered her twin stingers. Aqualad regressed the water bombs he was holding up back into the stream. Más and Menos stepped away from each other. Terra, however remained tense and kept her pose though the change in her expression was evident. Speedy addressed the blonde girl directly.

"Look, Terra…" he said towards her, "You don't have to be afraid of us. Were not your enemies, girl. We want to help you the best we can…" Speedy tossed his bow to the side and dropped his pack of arrows.

"…who… are you guys?" asked Terra, "and…where am I? How did I…?"

"We can't tell you everything, to be honest. But don't worry about us. We are the Titans East and you're in our towe--"

"Titans?" Terra, upon hearing that word, stumbled backwards in a sudden panic.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there!" Speedy walked up to Terra who almost went into a fetal position on the sand as if trying to protect herself then went into a mad ramble.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything I did, I never wanted to do those things, I swear! I---!"

Speedy knelt down next to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry about it! Everything's gonna be fine, okay? We know the story. We know your not a bad guy—er girl."

Terra looked up at Speedy with tear stricken eyes. Somewhere in her subconscious mind, she wanted to believe everything the he just said.

"He's right, we know your not really evil," said Aqualad, "And I guess we should really be the ones apologizing here, giving you such a scare like that. This was totally our fault, seriously."

"Yeah, that's true," concurred Bumble Bee, "Believe me when I say that we never wanted things to turn out like this. But we can't really blame you for acting the way you did, considering what you may be going through. Completely our bad."

"Nuestras disculpas más sinceras, señora," said the Más and Menos.

Terra looked around as everyone said their piece. The fear in her eyes gradually receeded as she looked back up at Speedy.

"See? I told you everything will be fine," said Speedy, "We're all friends here…"

We're all friends here. Friends. Something in that last statement triggered a flood of memories to overcome Terra. She could remember everything that happened to her, everything she did, and she also remembered the last time she heard that phrase. The last person to tell her that phrase. She broke into tears.

Terra's head dropped onto Speedy's chest and her arms wrapped around his back. She began to sob uncontrollably. Speedy, was caught in an awkward situation. He never really experienced having to cater to a sobbing girl before. None of the other Titans were able to help him either. This circumstances that lead to this point was awkward enough as it was.

Speedy started to gently rub Terra's shoulders in order to comfort her a bit. He also gave the most reassuring words he could think of at that moment.

"Don't worry, okay? Your gonna be fine…"

Terra rambled uncontrollably. "I'm sorry… I never wanted things… to end like that… I wanted to…"

"Calm down, were gonna keep you safe now, alright?

"…"

"…Hey, are you okay?"

Terra couldn't answer him. She already fainted from exhaustion.

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In some secrete facility.

Professor Chang walks along a dimly lit hallway. The walls were rusty, the floor constantly creaked with his every step, and half the bulbs were either unlit or blinking. Wherever he was the place was falling apart. He didn't particularly mind though. His last hideout was not any shabbier. That wasn't the point of him staying here anyway.

The place he was currently staying in, along with his crew, was and old, old factory located somewhere near the borders of the city. It was so old, nobody what the factory made when it was in operations. It wasn't pretty but it did just fine for the mad scientist. Chang picked the place for his hideout in Steel City because of two major reasons: it was inconspicuous and it had ample space for all his stuff.

He was deep in thought as he walked the lonely hallway. Things hadn't gone the way they were supposed to go for the last few days. The key part oh the master plan just fell out of their hands and they have now way of getting it back, at least at the moment. He was stuck waiting. Though he personally suggested they needed patience doesn't mean he liked it.

He reached the end of the hallway he was walking down on. It ended in a large steel door. He pushed the door open with moderate ease. Behind the door was a pretty large room. The room was lined with computer terminals and video screens. Wires and cables snaked along the floor being in no particular order. The main feature of the room was on the far wall.

Ten metal cylinders stood up against the wall in a semi circle. The had wires and cables connecting to the base of each cylinder. On top of each cylinder was a light bulb. Nine of the cylinders had the bulbs shining a bright green while one in the middle was shining a bright red. Next to the large metal cylinders sitting in front of a computer terminal was a solitary henchman dressed in the usual white jumpsuit and face mask.

The henchman noticed Professor Chang behind him and stood to greet him. "Good afternoon, sir. What brings you here?"

"A new assignment for our friend here," said Chang, "Raise them."

The henchman turned to his computer terminal. He entered some kind of command with the keyboard. After which, a loud clicking sound was heard from all ten cylinders. The bulbs on top of each cylinder suddenly turned red. Slowly, the outer wall of the metal cylinders started to rotate. A few seconds later all cylinders were open and showing their content.

One cylinder was empty, the one that had the red bulb while the others were green. Inside the other nine, There was an identical looking bald man dressed in black and a sword on his back. They stood motionless in the middle of the metal cylinder with eyes closed.

Chang stared at them for a while. Chang called them mech-rangers. They were advanced cybernetic soldiers that were disguised as humans. These particular models seemed to specialize in sword combat.

Chang originally planned to market these things as specialized assassins. He's one problem was to make them more human-like. At the moment, the mech-rangers can't talk, blink their eyes, or exhibit any kind of emotion. In this state Chang couldn't really market them as assassins. For the moment though, they made excellent foot soldiers. Too bad he lost one, but he supposed that strong as these things were they can still be overwhelmed. Plus it was the Titans East after all.

Chang turned to his henchman. "Which of them was the one we equipped with the advanced surveillance systems?"

"That would be unit four, sir," answered the henchman.

"Call him out here. he has a new assignment for today."

"Yes sir." The henchman entered another command on his computer terminal.

The fourth mech-ranger from the left suddenly opened its eyes. It slowly stepped out of the cylinder. He stood in the middle of the room waiting for something. Chang stepped up to it. He pulled from one of his pockets a small computer chip. He moved behind the mech-ranger. From that angle, an insertion slot was obvious from the back of the android's neck.

Professor Chang took the small computer chip and inserted it into the slot in the back of the mech-rangers neck. The chip slipped in automatically. A few moments pass by as the androids eyes blink a couple of times. After it was done blinking, Chang moved in front of it.

"Listen here," he said to it, "confirm new objectives: you are to survey the city for signs of the designated target 'Terra' while remaining undetected as best as possible and upon locating the target, you are to report your findings directly to me."

The mech-ranger nodded.

"Good. Now proceed."

The mech-ranger slowly walked out of the room. Chang turned to give a nod to his henchman. The henchman took it as a silent command and turned back to his computer terminal where he entered a few more commands.

The ten cylinders started to rotate back into place, closing the remaining androids inside. The lights of eight turned back to green while the two empty ones remained red.

Chang eventually followed the mech-soldier out of the room, leaving the henchman to his work. He again walked that long and rusted hallway. As he walked his mind wandered. He thought about Brother Blood and their new weapon in the making. He thought about the key ingredient in all of this. Her.

He smirked at the thought. Yes, her. He wondered about her. He wondered what could she be up to right now or if she's even awake. And he especially wondered about he she would react when she knew the truth about herself. The painful truth that he was keeping from her. He grinned even more at the thought.

But he abandoned that train of thought and thought about more serious matters at the moment. He did not need to dwell in such thoughts for now. In time, the truth will be revealed soon enough.

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Author's note: Hoped you liked this next installment. My next update will come in a few days. In the meantime, pls. Read & Review. They're a really big help to me.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of these characters or anything else remotely related to them.

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Titans Tower: East.

It had been a full day since the events stemming from the chase around the tower that ultimately ended in the ninth floor Zen garden. Terra had fainted from exhaustion and lack of nutrients and a small case of shock. She was back in the medical ward, same room as last time. It had been over twenty-eight hours since she fainted and she showed no signs of waking up yet.

The Titans hooked her up to an IV in order to make up for her lost nutrients. They did a check-up on her vital functions and everything seemed stable for the most part. They took turns checking up on her on regular intervals of time and hooked her up to a monitor to signal any change in her vitals or if she would wake up.

They did all this mainly so that they could all avoid what just happened a day ago. It was hard on all of them, especially on their new guest. Terra was now soundly asleep once again. Thankfully for her, it was a dreamless sleep. No haunting memories or delusional nightmares.

For the moment though, the members of the Titans East were having lunch.

In the main room the Titans gathered around the table to eat. Today's meal was a platter of good old, Italian style pasta. It was Bumble Bee's turn to make lunch today and she decided this was a nice change of pace. The regular pace being Aqualad constantly complaining that there being traces of seafood in everything that Speedy orders out.

As they were eating, they found enough time between forkfuls of pasta to discuss current events.

Aqualad started. "Okay. What I'm trying to raise here is the issue on what were gonna do with her. I mean, she's supposed to be this tragic heroine that lost her way and betrayed an entire city, but at the last minute redeemed herself by making the ultimate sacrifice. How do you talk to someone like that?"

"She's not only that, Aqualad," replied Bumble Bee, "Remember that she's also a lost person in search of meaning. She spent nearly her entire life running away from her mistakes."

"I know how to deal with lost people, believe me. But this girl is beyond just being lost. It's like she doesn't even know she was born. She has to find the right path to follow but i don't think she knows what the path looks like or where to find it…or if it even exist."

"All the more reason we should help her."

"So, you really want to keep her with us here, Bee?"

"You mind or something?"

"I don't particularly mind myself, How about you guys?"

The twins swallowed their pasta and said: "No tenemos ningún problema con eso."

"What about you, 'William Tell'?" asked Aqualad towards Speedy.

Speedy put down the glass he was drinking from to reply. "I'm cool with that. God knows it would be nice to have a fresh new face in this dump. Besides, were all for 'helping the needy' right, and I can see that that girl is in need of a lot of things."

"But can we really give all the things she needs? I don't remember anyone of us having a degree in psychology here."

"Mmmfff mffmf mmfmfm mf fmmfmmfmf mfmf," said the twins.

"How many times have I told you to stop talking with your mouths full?" said Speedy, "Swallow…"

The twins swallowed and spoke clearly. "No preocúpate, nos las arreglaremos de algún modo," said the twins.

"…I guess that didn't really help that much," said Speedy realizing how scant his Spanish skills were.

"They said that we'll manage somehow," said Bumble Bee, "But I don't think it's that simple guys. I don't think _she's_ that simple."

"If we decide to keep her with us, she could turn out to be quite a handful, ya know?" said Aqualad.

"Still we can't leave her out on her own," said Bumble Bee, "she's not the only piece of the puzzle here, ya know."

Aqualad looks towards Bumble Bee. "You're talking about Brother Blood and Professor Chang, huh?"

"Yep."

"Guess you're right. We can't totally forget about those two and the fact that we found Terra in their custody at first. There are bigger things happening here than just us and her."

"But some how I can't agree with our earlier theory about her," said Speedy.

"¿Cuál? ¿Uno sobre su ser su cómplice en su plan malvado? Eso parece muy improbable, amigos," said Más and Menos.

"That's right guys," concurred Bumble Bee, "she's no accomplice to those two lunatics. If anything, she's their unsuspecting victim in this whole thing. More likely they've been, or at least planning on, using her from the start."

"But 'how' and 'for what' are the bigger questions here, Bee," said Aqualad, "Blood always had this knack for going big when it comes to evil schemes and all. We still have no idea what he's really planning and how soon it's gonna take place."

"We don't know a darned thing about this, Professor Chang guy either," said Speedy, "Well we do know that the guy is a big weapons dealer in the underworld so whatever they're planning would most likely involve something that goes 'Boom!' you get what I'm saying, guys?"

"I guess that's one way of looking at things. Plus, since we know that Terra's involved, we can form a whole new batch of theories."

"Guess that gives us all the more reason to keep her around," said Bumble Bee, "and to keep her away from Blood and Chang as best we can."

"So we really are gonna keep her around, huh?" inquired Speedy, "Well if she's as lost as we say she is, that probably is the best coarse of action."

Aqualad grins at Speedy. "Ya, know, Speedy, you seem really anxious on keeping her here with us. Is it really all because of what we said about Blood and Chang or something else…?"

Speedy nearly chokes on his pasta.

"Yeah he's got a point," said Bumble Bee, "I mean, you were really nice to her especially after all that running around yester day. Never knew you had it in you."

"Hehehe, nosotros también la idea de que tú eras tan amable, el Sr. arco y flecha," said the twins with an accent.

Aqualad and Bumble Bee giggled. A vein popped-up on Speedy's temple.

"Hey, quit it!" he said, "Look I was just being nice. Is that so unusual?"

Everyone else said 'yes'.

"…" Speedy stared at their smiling faces then frowned, "Okay, so I was a bit out of character, so what? I simply couldn't stand that look in her eye, that's all."

"What look, man?" asked Aqualad.

"You know? _That_ look."

"Dude, I seriously don't. What look are you talking about?"

Speedy sighed. "You guys know how I grew up, back in Star City, right. The streets were mean there. And when I swung around looking for baddies to beat up, most of the time, I don't just see villains. I also see their victims, the people villains rob, or hurt, or just play around with. And all those people have that same look I saw in that girl."

"Wait, I think I know what your getting at there, Speedy," said Aqualad. "I kinda know that look too. I think we all do, right guys?"

The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

"_She_ had that same look," continued Speedy, "That look of fear, uncertainty, being lost, and utter hopelessness. That kind of look usually haunts you in your sleep. That's the real reason I want to help her. To me it's no different than helping the little guy who's being robbed in some dark alley."

"I'm goin' with Speedy on this one," said Bumble Bee, "she needs our help. What kind of Titans are we if we just throw her out on the streets. It's our obligation to that poor girl. Moreover it's our duty as Titans to protect those who are in trouble."

"Es determinado, finalmente. Protegeremos a la doncella justa de la tierra de cualquier daño a toda costa. Ése es nuestro deber como los héroes del Este de Titans," said Más and Menos.

All of the Titans nodded in agreement. At the same time, that particular issue was finally closed. The five heroes momentarily continue their meal, their plates almost completely empty now. At some point another thought passed through Aqualad's mind.

He spoke out as he finished his plate. "One more thing you guys."

Everyone looked at him as they were also finishing up their dishes.

"What about the other Titans in the west?"

Everyone froze for a moment. Though it was Aqualad that voiced it out, it was a question in everyone's minds. Terra's former team. Do they know about this? The Titans East knew that the chance of that was highly unlikely and it's more likely that the Teen Titans from Jump City have absolutely no involvement in this case whatsoever.

But how would they address the situation if that's the case. Do they keep her a secret? Do they tell them about her, about Professor Chang, about Brother Blood? Do they even have the right to say anything?

"I don't think this is the best time for that, Aqualad," said Bumble Bee, "Last time I checked on those guys, they were in the middle of something big and they actually had to leave their city. Something about 'old friends needing some help' or something like that."

"Do we know if they're back?"

"I don't know, sorry."

"Well in any case," spoke out Speedy, "I think it would probably be best if left that decision to _her._"

Everyone thought about that for a minute, then they all generally agreed.

"Es correcto. No tenemos derecho de interferir en asuntos personales," said Menos.

"Si lo hacemos, podemos hacer los temas peor para ella y todos nosotros," said Más.

"Okay, I guess that clinches that issue then," said Aqualad, "Now let's focus on the more present issue. Who's gonna go down to the medical ward to replace her sandwich?"

"Not it!" said Speedy almost immediately.

"You're learning…"

"That's okay I'll do it," said Bumble Bee as she was getting up from her seat, "Besides, it's Speedy's turn to wash the dishes today anyways."

"Huh? Hey!" objected Speedy to no avail.

Bumble Bee soon went into the kitchen to fetch an untouched plate of pasta, still a bit warm along with a fork and a cool bottle of water. Speedy started to gather the dirty dishes, while mumbling in grief, and hauled them away into the sink area just as Bumble Bee was leaving the room with the fresh plate of pasta. Aqualad and the twin speedsters were left alone on the table.

"Well that leaves us with some free time," Aqualad looked down on the twins, "What do you guys wanna do?"

Más and Menos looked thoughtful for a moment then said the one of the few English word they know: "Cartoons!"

"…Fine. Just as long as it's not that stupid, talking, yellow sponge."

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In the medical ward, room M-03.

Terra moans as she stirs back into consciousness. She blinks her eyes once, twice to remove the haziness in her vision. She slowly sits up and fully opens her eyes when her sight was fully sharp once again. She carefully looked around to take in her surroundings. In the first few seconds of observing, she already recognized the room she was in. It was the same room she woke up in God knows how long ago. She looked down on herself and also noted she still had the same gown and pair of shorts.

Terra tried to recall the events that lead her back here. She could vaguely remember five unusual characters that were chasing here and she tried to fend them off but she eventually fainted from the lack of energy. That ending thought immediately caused her stomach to rumble.

It was then that she noticed the one thing that was different in the room. Sitting next to her bed, on the table was a plate. On the plate was a pastrami sandwich. She stared at the thing for a long while. The only thing she could think of doing was taking it and chomping it down. She seemingly failed to notice that there was already a little mold on the bread but she didn't seem to care.

She reached for it and grabbed it with both hands. She held it close to her face. She could probably smell mold but again she didn't care. She opened her mouth agape and was about to take the sandwich in when suddenly from the door…

"Don't eat that!"

Terra immediately pulled the sandwich away from her face. She looked towards the door and saw the vaguely familiar form of Bumble Bee though she didn't know her yet. Terra quickly placed the offensive sandwich back on its plate. She looked up at Bumble Bee a little fearfully. Bumble Bee saw this and quickly apologized.

"Um…sorry about startling you like that," said Bumble Bee, "It's just that sandwich has been there for like a whole day now and it's getting' kinda rancid…"

Terra had a surprised look on her face. She looked down on the sandwich only now noticing all the mildew and mold that have build up on it. She lost her appetite immediately. She looked up at Bumble Bee with a slightly disgusted look.

"I'm…sorry," Terra muttered, "it's just that…I'm really…hungry and all…"

"Still, you shouldn't eat things that have already caught a little mold, it'll only make you sick even more."

"How long has it…been since I…fainted?"

"Over a whole day. I could understand why you're so hungry."

Terra blinked once or twice. A whole day? She must have been a lot more worn out than she thought. At that time Bumble moved to the table and picked up the plat with the sandwich and set down a new plate. One full of steaming pasta topped with a thick red tomato sauce as well as a bottle of water. Terra looked like it like a ten-year-old looking at his first birthday present.

"Well if you're hungry, you can have this instead," said Bumble Bee, "It's a lot fresher, that's for sure---"

Terra never waited for Bumble Bee to finish. She already grabbed the plate of pasta and the fork and began shoveling heaps of pasta in her mouth like an animal. Bumble Bee was taken by surprise and took a step back while sweatdropping.

With in a few moments the plate was already empty. Terra placed it back down on the table in a hurry as she was actually choking on her food. She immediately reached for the bottle of water next to the plate, uncapped it, and chugged it down. Bumble Bee sweatdropped a bit more.

After emptying the bottle in less than five seconds, Terra placed it back down next to the empty plate. Almost immediately afterwards, she went wide eyed and placed a hand over mouth. She then bent downwards looking like she was going to be sick. Bumble Bee became concerned and tried to place a hand on Terra but immediately drew back when Terra gave an exceptionally loud burp that rocked the room.

Bumble Bee sweat dropped a lot more.

Terra looked back up again and showed Bumble Bee that half her face was covered in tomato sauce. Bumble Bee instinctively reached for a nearby towel and handed it to Terra. Terra took with curiosity. She soon realized how dirty her face was then proceeded to wipe herself clean of the remaining tomato sauce.

"Uh…Thanks," said Terra while handing back the towel to Bumble Bee.

"You're quite welcome," was all Bumble Bee could say then.

"Um…can I ask…where am I? And who are you guys?"

"Oh, um well let me give you the gist of everything you need to know right now. You can call me Bumble Bee. I'm the leader of the Titans East. You are in our tower, located in Steel City. WE don't know exactly how you got here except through a couple of really bad guys we managed to get you away from and everything else, you probably already know."

"Titans East? Steel City? I've never heard of…"

"We were after your time. After you were---" Bumble Bee stopped herself in the middle of her speech. She dare not mention any of those past events to her. She's been through enough, the poor girl. She looked down at Terra who had a slightly saddened expression on her face. A change of subject was needed.

"Anyways, since you're here what do you say we meet the rest of the team?" said Bumble Bee.

"Oh, um…sure."

Terra slowly swung around her legs to the side of the bed so that she could get down. Bumble Bee stopped her with a palm. Terra looked up at Bumble Bee curiously.

"Um…you know what? Wait here and I'll get you a better change of cloths, okay?"

Terra looked down to remind herself what she was wearing. She blushed a bit. "Oh…sure thing."

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Back in the main room.

Speedy was done with the dishes and was sitting on the rounded couch along with Aqualad and the twins. They were watching some old Looney tunes cartoon. The twins watched the show intently but Speedy and Aqualad looked as if they were bored to tears. Speedy yawned constantly and Aqualad was half-way to unconsciousness, almost drooling.

"Couldn't this network find anything better to show?" rhetorically inquired Speedy.

"What do you expect them to show at one in the afternoon?" replied Aqualad.

"No sabemos cuál es su problema con esta demostración. ¡Decimos que es gran diversión a mirar! ¡Éste es arte de la televisión si había siempre cualquiera!" said Más and Menos.

"To each his own, guys," said Speedy.

They continued to watch this show for a few more minutes waiting for Bumble Bee to arrive with some kind of news. She's been gone longer than expected but the team didn't care to wonder at the moment. A little later Bumble Bee actually came back through the door but the boys were to distracted to notice immediately.

Bumble Bee walked up to the couch area and coughed loudly. The boys finally turned their heads to acknowledge her.

"Do you guys plan to just lay around all day like that?" inquired Bumble Bee.

"You gotta better idea?" asked Speedy.

"Yeah. How about welcoming our new guest properly?"

Bumble Bee pointed behind her. The boys looked. They saw Terra standing nervously behind Bumble Bee. Gone were her hospital gown and shorts and replacing them was a more conservative set of garments.

Terra was now wearing a simple, white, t-shirt for a top. She had on a pair of bell-bottom blue jeans and a pair of sandals on her feet. Her hair was pinned to one side so that it wouldn't get in the way of her face.

She stood there blushing as the boys stared at her for a few moments.

"Um…hi," she said.

A split second later, Más and Menos were both in front of her. Buena tarde nuestra huésped honrada, Señora Terra. Recepción a la torre de los Titanes del este. Estamos Más y Menos, los gemelos más rápidos en este planeta en su servicio. Hágase por favor en el país, insistimos."

Terra nearly jumped backwards in surprise. Her heart must have skipped a beat when those two suddenly came at her like that. She nervously smiled back at the smiling twins in front of her. She was sweatdropping as she tried to come up with a respond to that. Luckily, Aqualad stepped in for her.

"Alright, cool it you two," he said to them, "Give her some room will ya."

The twins stepped aside to allow Aqualad to have his word. "Sorry about those two, they're a little hyper you see. Incase you didn't catch that, their names are Más and Menos." Aqualad pointed at the twins respectively. As for me I'm---"

"Aqualad, right?" said Terra out of the blue.

"…Um, .yeah. How'd ya know?"

"It's just that…Starfire has a ton of posters in her room with you in it that's all," she said with a blush and a hint of humor.

The rest of the Team giggled as Aqualad turned a little flushed. "…Ahem, to continue, over here is Speedy."

Speedy walked up to Terra. "Pleasure to meet you."

Terra looked at Speedy for a good long time remaining absolutely silent. Speedy grew a tad bit uncomfortable with every lingering second Terra was looking at him. The others seemed equally curious as to why Terra suddenly became silent. Speedy broke the tension himself.

"Cat got your tongue, or something?"

Terra snapped back into reality. "Oh, sorry. I guess I…just wanna thank you…for what you did for me…um, yesterday, ya know? You saved me…I guess."

"Huh? Oh! That, well don't worry about it, ehe. It's just what I do. Besides I'm a sucker for damsels in distress. I'm sure any self respecting hero would have done the same."

"I…also wanna say sorry. I must've caused you guys so much trouble yesterday."

"Oh, it's no biggie, right guys?"

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. Aqualad stepped up to her to say something. "We could kinda understand why you would have reacted that way. I mean, waking up to a strange room in a strange building full of strange people would give anyone a good scare."

"Exactly," said Speedy, "…wait, who you calling strange?"

"This was totally my bad," continued Aqualad, "I should have been friendlier with you when we met in the hallway. Sorry to give you a scare like that."

"Acepte por favor nuestras apologías más profundas. éramos culpables también.," said Más and Menos.

"Oh don't worry, you guys, everything's cool," said Terra, "Besides, I…have a lot more to thank you guys about. You guys…might have very well saved my life the other night."

The four boys raised their eyebrows in curiosity.

Bumble Bee stepped in to explain. "Um, she's talking about the time we raided that exchange between Blood and Chang's men. I told her about that on the way here."

"Oh, that," said Speedy, "We were just lucky to have found you, and you were lucky to have been found by us. Besides, whoever you may be, those two characters are the last people you wanna be with, believe me on this."

"Speedy's right, Brother Blood and Professor Chang are nothing but bad news," concurred Bumble Bee, "But don't worry about that, you're with us now. We'll keep those crooks away from you anyway we can, whatever the cost."

"Gee, I can't thank you guys enough for all that you're doing for me," said Terra.

"Usted puede contar en nosotros, nuestra señora. No se preocupe aslong como estamos aquí," said Más and Menos.

"We're Titans, that's what we do," said Speedy.

Terra's smile was lost. Again a flood of memories was triggered when she heard that last line. That's what Titans do: they protect the people. Protect the people. The things she did, or at least remember doing, she couldn't bear the thoughts of it. The team was growingly concerned as the saw the change of expression on her face.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," said Speedy.

"No, it's okay, just that I…" Terra broke off.

"Don't worry about the past Terra, that's the last thing you should do," said Aqualad.

Terra looked at him like he was crazy. He was telling her to forget about it which for her was an impossible task. Could anyone else just forget after going what she had gone through. No, it would be impossible. It would be crazy to even try.

"I can't just forget about my past, ya know," she said, "The things I did, the people I've hurt… you don't just throw away those kinds of memories."

Terra turned her head down and looked at the floor. Everyone in the room turned into a somber mood. They couldn't find anything to say to her in order to lift her spirit, or their own. Everyone except Aqualad that is.

"I never said anything about forgetting," said Aqualad.

"…Then what do you want me to do?" asked Terra.

"Move forward. That's all. People make mistakes, some big, some small. But mistakes are a fact of life we can't escape no matter how hard we try. They are our past and there is nothing we can do to change these things. All we can do is keep moving forward. The true measure of anyone's strength is how much they are willing to pick themselves up after they fell down. Terra, you may have lost everything, but that only means you have everything to gain. All you have to do is step up."

Terra listened intently to Aqualad's short speech. She thought about it carefully. Could she justify herself just like that, despite her past? Is she capable of just moving forward? Even if she was willing, would she be able to exert enough effort to achieve anything?

She was weak, she knew that. She couldn't stand to be weak so she kept looking for avenues to escape looking weak. There in lies all the mistake she ever made. She thought she could become stronger by joining the Titans. She lost faith in them for a stupid reason. She thought she could become stronger joining Slade. She was just used then thrown away. What was left for her was nothing but a shattered life not worth putting back together.

"All you have to do is step up, Terra," continued Aqualad, "and you don't have to be alone."

Terra looked at him in the eye. He was smirking. She looked around her. Soon everyone followed Aqualad's lead and wore small smirks on their faces. Terra started to get the gist of everything that they were about to say to her.

"You're probably thinking that your life is pretty much over," said Bumble Bee, "But that also gives you an opportunity to start over."

"We can all learn from our mistakes in the past," said Speedy, "Like it is said: what doesn't kill ya' can only make ya' stronger."

"Sí, sí, ¡eso es correcto!" said the twins.

Terra looked thoughtful for quite a while after That. The Titans knew to wait patiently and not rush her. This was her call and no-one else's. After a while she raised her head back up, wearing a smile.

"…I think…I might just give that a try."

The rest of the Team wore bigger smiles. Everything turned out okay after all. As corny as it was, they probably wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well since we're all starting over, I say that warrants a re-introduction," said Speedy.

"Yeah, you're right," said Terra, "Hi, my name's Terra, nice to meet you all…"

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Author's note: Not much action in this chapter, but don't worry. I'm planning plenty of action in the upcoming chapters plus a whole lot of twists in the story. In the meantime. Comments? Suggestions? Violent Reactions? Send them all my way if you want. Pls. R&R


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Everything and everyone mentioned in this fic is by no means my property.

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The Steel City prison.

It was located just out side the city limits near the northern mountain ranges. The road that connected the prison to the main highway was about a mile long. The area which the Prison itself occupied was about the equivalent of six football field laid in a three-by-two rectangle. Jagged mountains bordered the prison as a sort of natural fortification not so much as keeping threats away but more so on keeping those in prison inside.

The prison itself was a magnificent structure to behold. On the inside the massive facility was divided into four individual buildings which served as holding cells each four stories high. In the center was a tall tower that was the central control room and offices for the prison personnel.

On the outside a twenty-foot high, five-foot thick, reinforced concrete wall. Topping that wall was an array of electrified coils of barbed wire. That may seem a bit excessive but considering the kind of people they had coming into the prison, it was adequate. On the wall facing the city, there was a heavy, reinforced, iron gate that was the only access in and out.

Surrounding the entire compound was an array of hidden sensors designed to detect any form of escape. Truly this was an inescapable prison…for normal criminals at least. Then again not everybody in there was a 'normal' prisoner that was incapable of escape.

Case in point…

"Get out of my way!"

The front gate exploded outward onto the prison parking lot. The two pieces of the gate flew like playing cards to the wind. Along with the two pieces of the front gate were several rag doll bodies of specially armored security guards and a huge dust cloud. The gate and the guards sprawled all over the pavement. The guards were alive but they were writhing in agony.

The ground around them shook. Loud stomping noises could be heard echoing from within the walls of the prison. The stomping got louder and faster as it reached the outside parking lot. The stomping stopped momentarily in the middle of the dust cloud.

When the dust cleared, A huge figure clad in heavy industrial, yellow and black armor. The figure stood over twelve feet tall. His most unusual feature was that his two hands looked like two giant metal cylindrical drums. The half-man, half-machine looked essentially like a cross between a man and a certain heavy construction machine that gave him his namesake.

Steamroller.

The guards around Steamroller did their best to get away from him as fast as possible. Steam roller ignored them and looked towards the road, towards the city. He started to stomp his way towards the city, cracking the pavement with every step he took and sending a ripple of thunder through the ground. He suddenly felt slight stinging sensations from his backside.

He turned around. Near the entrance were even more specially armored guards armed with laser rifles shooting at him. The rifles were designed to shoot laser bolts that would stun a person, but to Steamroller, they barely made a tingle in his skin. He was getting very annoyed.

"Annoying little men!"

He noticed a parked car near him. He marched to it quickly, reeled up a fist and batted the car towards the gateway were the guards were still firing at him. The car flew up and came down on the guards who immediately scrambled out of the way. The car exploded upon impact and covered the gate area in flames.

Steamroller turned around again to face the city. That's when the prisons extra secrete security measures came on. Suddenly, two large, mechanical laser turrets pooped out of the ground on opposite corners of the parking lot and rose over twenty feet above it. The turrets on the top of the towers hummed to life, swivled about, and began firing on Steamroller. He felt the shots this time but still they had little effect other than ticking him off.

He made his way towards one of the towers and swung his large cylindrical drums to wards the base of the tower. His drum hands smashed right through the base of the tower causing it to topple to the ground. Steamroller now turned his attention to the second turret which was still constantly firing at him.

He raised both his arms. The two cylindrical drums he had for hands retracted a bit into his forearm to reveal two normal, albeit large, human hands. With his normal hands, Steamroller grabbed onto the fallen turret, ran with it to the second turret, and swung it like a bat towards the second turret.

"Aaaaaarrrrrggggh!"

The two turrets collide and explode into a heap of twisted metal. Steam roller stood over the two wrecked turrets unfazed. He ran towards the road once again. As he did, one last turret rose from the ground in the middle of the road ahead of him and began firing.

"You think that's gonna stop me!"

Steamroller clamped his two drum hands together to form one massive drum. He dropped the combined drum arm onto the ground and rushed towards the last turret. The turret met with Steamroller. The turret was flattened into the ground by Steamroller's combined drum roller. Steamroller separated his two hands and stood over the wrecked turret.

He stood there looking over his work. The entrance of the prison was ablaze and three turrets were flattened to the ground. That's probably over fifteen or so million dollars worth of damage right there. Not a bad job at all. Steamroller grinned devilishly. He turned his sights towards the city again and began marching.

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Titans Tower: East.

Terra has been in the tower for over three days now since the second time she woke up. She has become very familiar with tower and it's facilities thanks to a guided tour from the Titans East themselves. She had grown comfortable in her new surroundings and the Titans have grown quite accustomed to her as well.

Regarding other matters, The Titans have gone nowhere with regards to the new scheme being hatched up by Brother Blood and Professor Chang. They knew Terra was a link in the chain somewhere but they couldn't tell exactly where. They couldn't ask Terra either. She knew a heck of a lot less that they did. So they were forced to wait for something to pop-up.

It was just after lunch that day. Aqualad and the twins were on the couch playing on the Gamestation. Speedy was last seen heading towards the gym. Bumble Bee just entered the main room right in the middle of the boy's game. Aqualad was the only one of the three to be momentarily distracted by her. That small amount of time he took look away…

"Gooooooaaaaallllll!" screamed out the twins.

Aqualad looked annoyingly at the twins for a moment then towards Bumble Bee. "Hey there, Bee. What's happenin'?"

"Sorry about that," said Bumble Bee, "But I'm even more sorry about these results." Bumble Bee waved a few sheets of paper on her hand.

Aqualad handed his game controller to Más and he and Menos began a new game. Aqualad walked around the couch to where Bumble Bee was. She handed the sheets of paper to him and he browsed through the text. It took Aqualad about a half a minute to get the gist of the report and he was evidently unsatisfied.

"Still nothing huh?" Aqualad asked sarcastically.

"Nope, and I spent all of last night trying every last lead I had," said Bumble Bee, "Gotta admit, Blood is getting smarter. He's finding ways to elude us so that our usual methods of investigation don't amount to much in the long run."

"Guess that can be expected. The guy's crazy, but not incompetent. He'll only be a lot harder to deal with this second time around."

"How about you guys? Find anything interesting?"

"Nah. Speedy's been swinging around all over the city trying out almost all of our underworld leads. He says he's still got nothing on Blood or Chang other than that trade we busted some few days ago. I've been using my telepathy on the local fauna to see if anything unnatural was going on but nothing's going on."

"So were back to square one then."

"Back? I don't think we ever left it."

Bumble Bee sighed. "Yeah you're right…"

"And we still don't have any idea how Terra fits into all of this."

"Yeah there's that too."

Aqualad looked thoughtful for a moment. Bumble Bee noticed his silenced and wondered what he could be thinking about. She waited patiently for him to speak up again. Eventually he did.

"But somehow, even though we don't know the manner of her involvement, this kinda gives us a hold over Brother Blood."

"What do you mean?"

"Before we even knew that it was Terra in that package, Speedy's sources said that it was something vital to Blood's plans. I think the reason that those two guys never made a move in the past few days is simply because they don't have Terra."

"They need her to finish what ever they're planning. But as long as we have Terra in our hands we're all in some sort of stale mate."

"Exactly."

"Then that means we're gonna have to keep an extra close eye on her."

"And while doing so, were just gonna have to be patient until something else comes up."

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Somewhere else in the tower.

Speedy was walking the lonely halls whistling away a favorite tune, dressed in a sweaty T-shirt along with his regular pants and boots. He had just finished up a session in the gym and was done for the day. Now he was looking for other things to do. He wanted to get rid of all the adrenaline he built up during his regular work-out so he wanted to do something to help him relax.

Speedy thought about this for a moment. Eventually he came to a decision. He decided to go to the Zen garden on the ninth floor. He headed towards the nearest elevator. He pushed the call button and waited. He got on when the doors opened and pressed the button for the ninth floor.

A moment or two later the doors opened up into the ninth floor and Speedy made a bee-line for the garden entrance. As he got closer to the door, he started to notice a few pounding noises that were coming from behind the door. He stopped for a moment in the middle of the hall to get a better idea of the sound. He could definitely hear something from inside the garden.

He slowly walked up to the door, practically creeping up to it. He slowly, cautiously opened the door and entered the room. He saw the source of all the noise. It was Terra. Speedy was apparently unnoticed by her as she continued to do whatever she was doing, which was to lift random rocks into the air and set them down on seemingly random locations on the sandy ground.

Speedy watched her do this in silence and curiosity. Terra remained completely oblivious to his presence. She was fully engrossed in her work. Speedy stood there wondering until he just had to ask. He spoke up just as Terra was telekinetically lifting up a few stepping stones into the air.

"What are you doing?"

Terra shrieked and dropped the stepping stones. The stones plopped down into the sand. Making loud thuds. Terra took a moment to catch her breath and let her heart reset its rhythm. Speedy, in the back, was wincing and sweatdropping. That probably wasn't a good idea, now that he thought of it.

Once she was composed, Terra turned around to finally acknowledge Speedy who was looking nervously at her. She blushed, wondering how long he was there just watching her work. She wondered how she should apologize. She ended up babbling.

"Speedy! I…um…didn't see you there! Um…how long were you there? I'm sorry, were you gonna use this place? I just wanted to…you know…tidy up and stuff. I should have asked one of you guys about this, I knew it! I'm really sorry if you think I did anything wrong or anything like that. I'm so, so, so, sorr--!"

"Ok!" Speedy interrupted her, "ok, I get it! Stop apologizing, it's totally unnecessary."

"But…I…the rocks…sand and…you coming--!"

"Slow down, Terra! Breath!"

Terra stopped herself and took in a huge breath. She exhaled loudly and afterwards she was a lot calmer. Speedy breathed a sigh of relief himself. One problem down.

"Ok, now that we're all calm and cool," said Speedy, "can I ask again what were you doing here?"

Terra looked up at Speedy, still slightly flushed. "Um…I was just wandering around the tower and I kinda came back to this place. I saw how it was and I remembered what a mess I made the last time I was here so I…decided to try and clean up the place, ya' know? Fix it up new…"

"Oh, I see. Well that's perfectly fine with me and I'm pretty sure the others wouldn't mind so much either. Heck, you're probably doin' us a favor."

"Well you guys have been so nice to me that I…just wanted to pay you back somehow."

"Aww, don't sweat it…"

An awkward silence followed.

"Um…you came here for something?" Terra inquired.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah…um I just finished my work-out you see, and I wanted to come here to, ya' know, chill out and relax."

"Oh, I see….you want me to leave?"

"Well you can stay if you want to. Do you?"

"Me? I…well…sure?"

"Okay then. I say we go into the meditation house over there. It's way better a place to relax out here. Besides, It seems to me like you could use a little R-and-R yourself. It's pretty relaxing to meditate sometimes."

"Um thanks…lead the way."

Speedy walked ahead of her and she soon followed him over the wooden bridge and towards the small wooden meditation house on the far side of the space. Speedy slid open the door and walked inside. Terra soon followed. She has been here in the garden for over an hour fixing up the place but she has yet to see the inside of this particular structure.

In side was really nothing she would expect out of the ordinary. Shiny wooden panels made up the floor. There were regularly spaced wood columns to support the roof. There were a few mats on the floor for sitting on. In terms of decoration, there were a few Japanese scrolls that hung on the wall. Terra couldn't understand what was written but she guessed they were haikus or something.

Speedy went on ahead and sat down on one of the mats and made himself comfortable in a lotus position. Terra followed and sat down on a mat a couple of feet beside Speedy. After that…well, she didn't know what to do. She looked at Speedy, he was completely relaxed in a meditative state.

Terra just sat where she was in awkwardness. This went on for a few minutes of Terra not really doing anything she was suppose to be doing. She was watching Speedy the whole time wondering in awe how he could go into such a deep meditative state like that. She admired him for it. Speedy broke out of his trance long enough to check up on her.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Um…sorry but I don't really know how to meditate that well," said Terra.

"Hmm, well to tell you the truth, I don't know jack about this either."

Terra went a bit wide-eyed at that. "Huh? But you were…"

"Well, Aqualad is the real expert in this, him being psychic and all. He always tells me to try it out but, really, I can't get the hang of it and probably never will. But hey, it makes a good excuse to waste time."

Terra blushed. Speedy got up and went to a remote corner of the room and opened a hidden refrigerator door. He pulled out two canned beverages. He walks back to sit on his mat and offers one of the cans to Terra.

"Chilled herbal tea?" asked Speedy.

"…Sure," Terra answered rather shyly.

Terra took the cold can from Speedy and tried to red the label. It was in all in Japanese so she couldn't understand a word. Beside her Speedy popped open his can and drank from it. Terra hesitated before popping open her can and drinking from it as well. She thought it tasted just fine.

"Good?" inquired Speedy.

"Yeah," said Terra.

"Well, so much for meditation huh?"

"Yup, I guess we're not going into any higher planes today."

"Hehe, right. You know, I was hoping you knew how to do this stuff."

"Do what?"

"This meditation stuff. Never could get the hang of it myself so I thought I'd somehow follow your lead or something. Bad instincts on my part, I guess."

"Sorry to disappoint you then, Speedy. I'm only meta-human, you know."

"Guess that'll teach me to make hasty assumptions. Guess that has been a pretty big problem for me. Good thing I have all the other guys to keep me in check. Sorry if I assumed too much of you."

"It's okay, really. I guess it's just not really my thing, this meditating and all. I tried learning how to meditate myself in my travels around the world but never could get the hang of it too. Raven tried teaching me once or twice but eventually she also---"

Terra stopped her speech. Her smile fades away. Speedy looked towards her in concern. She had her head down. He tried to think of the best way to address her.

"You miss them, don't you?" he inquired with a softer tone of voice.

"…yeah I guess I still do."

"Terra…"

"I thought I'm over them, but… Something in me still wants to linger on those old memories, I guess. They taught me more about myself than anything else, even Slade. I can't believe I did such horrible things to them after they all they've done for me…"

"Look, Terra, if those guys are anything like I know them to be I'm sure they've forgiven you already."

"Maybe, Speedy. But even if they have forgiven me, I can never forgive myself. I was weak and because of that they suffered. Slade took advantage of me because I was weak. I could still be with them right now, but because of my mistakes, that'll never happen. God, I hate myself for it."

"…Well don't, not while I'm here."

Terra looked at Speedy directly.

"What do you mean?"

"You can feel sorry all you want but believe me it's never gonna help you, girl. I've been down that road before, you know. I once felt like I couldn't go on either, because some lousy mistakes I made. But I moved on eventually. That's all you have to do Terra, move on."

"You make it sound like it's that easy to just forget about the past."

"I'm not saying it's easy and I'm not telling you to forget your past. We can regret our mistakes but we can also learn from them, that's what they're for. I know what it's like having that haunting image wrack your mind reminding you of how much of a screw-up you were. It's hard, I know, constantly reliving those bad times and you really do end up hating yourself for not being better. You keep saying to your self: 'I should have done this' or 'Why didn't I do that?' or 'If only I…' But that's never the real solution."

"So what am I suppose to do then?"

"Give it time. You can't run away from those memories but they won't always be there, ya' know. Eventually, that image of your past will go away and you'll barely noticed it ever happened. Sometimes it will seem like a lifetime ago, other times it will feel like it just happened yesterday. But soon you'll realize that for most of the time…you're alright."

"…Most of the time."

"May not sound like much but it's still a life worth living for."

Terra was silent. She was in deep thought about what he said. Speedy simply remained silent and left her to think. He knew that she needed to sort stuff out for herself. As he waited he sipped on his can of chilled herbal tea. He just finished his beverage when Terra decided to speak up again.

"…You're right,"

Speedy smiled proudly. "I know…"

"Thanks, Speedy. You're not as tough and hardcore as you look."

"Well, gee thanks I…wait a minute, hey!"

Terra giggled. Speedy blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head.

At that precise moment, the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of the meditation house was broken as alarms started buzzing loudly. Terra and Speedy looked up at the same time as red sirens popped out of the ceiling and began blinking in bright red. Suddenly, Speedy's communicator started buzzing. He picked it up and it was Bumble Bee on the other line.

"Yo, Bee, what's going on?" Speedy asked into the communicator.

"Steamroller just broke out of jail and is rampaging downtown as we speak," replied Bumble Bee, "Get your gear and head on downtown. Got that?"

"Roger that, I'll be down there in three minutes."

"Hey, what about me?" Terra suddenly asked.

"Is that Terra with you, Speedy?" asked Bumble Bee.

"Yeah. What do you want her to do?"

"Terra, can I ask you to stay in the tower while we deal with this?"

"Uh, yeah sure."

"Thanks. Bumble Bee out."

With that, Bumble Bee's image disappeared fro the screen Speedy pocketed away his communicator and stood up. He turned to Terra who got up herself.

"You ought to be fine here for a few minutes without us," said Speedy, "Don't worry, we've beaten this guy before. This won't take that long."

"Ok, good luck!" said Terra.

"Thanks."

Speedy quickly ran out the door and left Terra behind. Although Speedy told her not to worry, she couldn't help felling a little concerned about the situation.

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A few minutes later, downtown.

People run in a mad panic down the street trying to get away from the incoming Steamroller. The giant cybernetic villain was stomping all the way down the street, crushing cars, bending lamps and tossing a few mailboxes here and there.

"Run away, you puny little insects!" he screamed out.

From ahead of him. Three police cars skidded to a stop in the middle of the road. The six police officers that were in those vehicles jumped out and aimed their handguns. They all yelled out the generic "Freeze!" towards the rampaging Steamroller but that did little to stop the thundering villain as he headed towards them.

The officers began firing their pistols. The bullets merely bounced off of Steamroller's hard armor shell. Steamroller brought his two drum hands together into one large drum which he dropped onto the road in the middle of his sprint. The large drum rolled towards the officers and their cars.

All six of the officers decided then and there that the smartest thing to do was to get the hell out of the way. And they did just that, diving out of Steamroller's path of destruction. Steamroller's charge flattened the middle car into the pavement while ramming the other two cars besides the first, flipping them on their roofs. Steamroller stopped and separated his hands again.

"Aaargghh! Worthless coppers!" he yelled out.

He turned around and ran to one of the flipped over police cars and slapped it with his drum hand. The wrecked car flew towards a building face and broke right through a third floor window. Steamroller went to the other flipped over police car. He retracted the drums on his hands to reveal his normal hands once again. He grabbed onto the car and flung it towards a nearby parked car. The impact caused both cars to explode and at the same time breaking a nearby fire hydrant which shot a high pressure stream of water high up into the air.

"Rrraaaarrrgghhh!" Steamroller yelled at the top of his lungs.

"¡Yo! ¡Tú con las latas de refresco extra grandes sobre sus manos!

That got Steamroller's attention. He turned around to see who it was that said that. Más and Menos stood just a few feet behind him. The twins stuck their tongues out and gave Steamroller a raspberry. Steamroller got annoyed and tried to smash the twins with one of his arms. By the time his hand reached the ground the twins were gone.

"¡Eso no estaba ni siquiera cerca!" said the twins from behind Steamroller.

Steamroller angrily swung around him in an attempt to hit the twins. Instead he got hit himself in the face with a strong electric bolt. He stumbled back a few feet but soon recovered. He looked ahead to see who had done that. It was Bumble Bee.

"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size!" said Bumble Bee, "Though I can kinda understand how difficult that might be."

"Then let's just trim this guy down a couple of notches!"

Steamroller looked up towards the source of the new voice. Speedy swung down from a grappling wire and stood next to Bumble Bee. Steamroller grumbled under his breath.

"You have a choice!" Aqualad's voice yelled out as he appeared walking towards the others. "You can surrender now or we send you to the cleaners."

Steamroller roared out loud. "Rrrrrggghhh!"

The giant of a man charged towards Aqualad.

"Cleaners it is then!"

Aqualad summoned a snake of water from the broken hydrant. He shot it towards Steamroller. The attack slowed down the charging villain a tad bit but not enough. Steamroller resisted the incoming stream of water and powered on through to Aqualad. The aquatic Titan jumped out of the way just as Steamroller smacked a drum onto the ground on which Aqualad was standing on.

Bumble Bee moved in and flew towards Steamroller, zapping away with her twin stingers. The shots were aimed at the villain's face in order to cause the most damage. Steamroller stumbled back a bit. Just as Bumble Bee came in close, Steamroller shielded his face and swung wildly.

Bumble Bee was almost swatted by large drum hands but she reacted quickly and shrunk herself to the size of a grain of rice and flew away and out of danger. The slightly bewildered Steamroller was vulnerable and the situation was taken advantage of by the twin speedsters, Más and Menos. The ran towards Steamroller. Unfortunately, the large villain, still swinging wildly, managed to hit the ground just as the twins were closing in.

The impact sent the twins flying into the air and sprawling over the road. Steamroller finally reoriented himself long enough to recognize the plight of the annoying twins in front of him. He retracted his drum hands and grabbed a nearby car with his normal hands. He lifted the empty car over his head and prepared to toss it right over the twins a few feet away.

As he was about to throw, He got an explosive arrow to the back of the head. The sudden explosion caused Steamroller to drop the car over his head. The car fell off of the villain and he rubbed his head. Steamroller quickly turned around and angrily looked at his attacker who was Speedy. Speedy mockingly gestured for Steamroller to come at him.

"C'mon big guy, show me what you got!"

Steamroller charged towards Speedy with a roar that could shake the whole city. Speedy began to launch as many arrows as he can towards the rampaging villain.

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Author's note: Expect more action continued in the next update. In the meantime: Pls. R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing in this fic. I just like using them.

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Downtown Steel City, in the middle of the afternoon.

In a nearby construction area, the workers were taking their afternoon break. A bunch of men were hanging out in different areas across the vast grounds. Some had lunch boxes and were munching on sandwiches while chatting with friends. Other's were just walking around or lounging under some shade.

The area was pretty barren since the only work going on was the laying of the foundation of the structure to be. That structure to be would be a new mall that would come up in about three years. For the moment there was no sign of any building. Just lots of soil, dirt and a few patches of completed cemented areas here and there. Pretty boring from any perspective.

But there was plenty of excitement to come…in about three seconds.

"Rrrrggghhh!"

The outer fence that surrounded the construction area broke off on one side leaving a moderately sized gap in the fence. Broken pieces of the fence flew high into the air like confetti. Among those flying pieces of debris, Speedy was flailing around in mid-air trying to reorient himself. He failed to do so and fell hard to the ground, yelping in pain.

"Ngn!"

Around the fallen hero, construction workers began walking towards him in curiosity. At that moment, Steamroller broke right through the gap made by Speedy, breaking off more pieces and widening the gap even more. At the sight of the villain, the construction workers stopped in their tracks and ran away in a fear induced panic.

Speedy got up, not that badly hurt but still a little sore. He looked up and saw steamroller eyeing him threateningly. Steamroller wasted no time and charged towards Speedy's vulnerable figure with a drum hand swinging down on the boy. Speedy went bug-eyed and quickly jumped out of the way as the impact made a crater on the ground.

Speedy back flipped a good distance away from Steamroller to avoid being flattened into a pancake. He got up at the same time as Steamroller. Speedy, living up to his namesake, drew three arrows, slung them to his bow and launched them all simultaneously. The arrows impacted Steamroller before he could react. The arrow heads clamped onto Steamroller then released about ten thousand volts of electricity.

"Aaaarrrgggghhh!" Steamroller screamed.

Speedy grinned but it was short-lived. Steamroller seemed barely affected by the attack and swiped the shock arrows off of his chest. Steamroller charged at Speedy again. Speedy jumped backwards as Steamroller constantly attempted to smash Speedy into the ground with his massive drum hands. This chase continued a good distance until they were under one of the cranes that had a bunch of steel beams on its hook.

The other Titans made their move then. Aqualad came into the scene. He summoned a stream of water from a nearby pipe and quickly formed it into a ball. He telekinetically threw the ball at the rampaging Steamroller's feet. A puddle of water suddenly formed below Steamroller causing him to slip and fall flat on his back. Speedy got a break then.

Then from above: "Heads up, Speedy!"

Speedy looked up and saw Bumble Bee hovering near the cable that was carrying the bundled up steel beams. Bumble Bee aimed her stinger on the wire and zapped it with a strong electrical bolt. The wire snapped and the bundled steel beams fell. Speedy ran out of the way towards a safe distance, Steamroller wasn't as lucky. The steel beams fell right on top of him burying him in debris and dust.

Speedy, Aqualad, and Bumble Bee gathered in front of the mess. They stood there for while when nothing happened.

"Man, I don't remember this guy being so tough the last time," said Speedy.

"Well, he didn't have his free will the last time," replied Aqualad, "Now that he can think for himself, he is a much bigger threat now than when he was controlled."

"Uh-oh, watch it guys!" said Bumble Bee.

A rumbling came from the pile of fallen steel beams. Suddenly, the pile of steel beams blew upwards and The Titans instinctively took a quick step backwards. Steamroller stood tall and strong over the heroes.

"That the best you got?" he screamed at them.

He retracted his drum arms and revealed his normal hands. He grabbed one of the fallen steel beams He swung it like a bat towards the Titans.

"Duck!" yelled out Aqualad.

Speedy and Aqualad dropped to the ground to avoid being beheaded while Bumble Bee took off into the air. Bumble Bee flew backwards and started to fire a volley of electric bolts with her stingers at Steamroller. The villain barely registered the hits as they caused him little pain. He counter-attacked by tossing the steel beam towards Bumble Bee.

Bumble Bee yelped out surprise. "Whoa!"

Bumble Bee shrunk herself just in time to avoid the large steel beam that came at her. The steel beam flew a distance and crashed into an equipment shed causing a huge mess. Meanwhile, Steamroller grabbed another steel beam from the ground and raised it up over the two downed Titans on the ground. Speedy and Aqualad looked up just as Steamroller brought the beam down like a hammer.

Thinking quickly, Aqualad kicked Speedy out of the way and at the same time propelling himself back so that they both avoid the steel beam that came down upon them. The beam created a crater on the ground as it made impact. It actually went deep enough into the soil so that it became stuck. Steamroller tried to pull out the beam as best he can. He was distracted then by it. Aqualad quickly got up and hopped onto the diagonally positioned beam. The Atlantean ran up the beam towards the surprised Steamroller. He perched for a moment at the tip in front of Steamroller.

"My foot, your face," said Aqualad, "it's a date!"

Aqualad gave a good hard kick to his face. In slow motion Steamroller stumbled back and at the same time the beam was loose from the soil and flipped backwards as Aqualad dropped to the ground. Aqualad then reached above him and managed to grab the end of the steel beam. Using his Atlantean strength and the steel beam's momentum, he swung down the beam towards Steamroller like a bat.

"Homerun!" he yelled.

The impact swatted away Steamrolled back towards a partially completed area of the construction site where there was already a partial steel frame ready to be built on. Steamroller fell back and was dizzy from the impact and could not think coherently at the moment. It was then that Más and Menos finally made it to the scene. Bumble Bee flew down again in her normal size. They saw the bewildered Steamroller and formulated a plan.

" Ahora nuestra oportunidad de atacar," they said to each other, "¡Ámosnos!"

"A'ight, c'mon little guys, let's go!" said Bumble Bee.

The twins held their hands together and blazed a streaking red and white trail. The twins ran towards the broken equipment shed with a large steel beam sticking out of the side. They grabbed a long role of steel cable then ran towards the sot where Steamroller stood drunkenly. Bumble Bee flew in from above.

The twins blurred across Steamroller's position with the steel cable in tow. In a blur of red and white, the twin speedsters wrapped the cable around Steamroller's prone figure. The gigantic villain had barely anytime to react. At that same time, Bumble Bee swooped in and flew around the steel beams and shot steady streams of concentrated bolts of electricity on certain spots with her stingers. She effectively welded the cable to the steel frame and even a bit to Steamroller's body.

"¡Eso te envuelve!" said the twins.

When Steamroller finally recovered his cognitive thought patterns, he tried to move but found that he couldn't to a large degree. He finally noticed the intricate cables wrapping around his body and holding him in place. He struggled a bit but found that he could not break his bonds easily. The twins along with Bumble Bee stood a few feet in front of the bound Steamroller.

" ¿Cómo le gusta eso?" said the twins.

"You think this will hold me!" asked Steamroller.

Steamroller twisted and flexed his limbs as strong as he can. He ground his teeth together as he struggled with an extra amount of effort. Eventually, wires start snapping and steel beams actually started to bend and buckle. Bumble Bee and the twins slowly steeped back, growing nervous.

"Nnnnggggaaa!"

With one last outburst, Steamroller broke through his entanglements. Pieces of broken cable and even some pieces of broken off steel beams flew forward towards Bumble Bee and the twins.

"Evade!" shouted Bumble Bee.

The Titans reacted just in time to avoid being hit by any flying debris. Bumble Bee flew up into the air and the twins dashed to the side.

Steamroller charged out of the mess and shook off any hanging wires from his body. Bumble Bee swooped back down and hovered just a few feet in front of Steamroller and began unleashing a volley of powerful electric blasts from her twin stingers. The bolts didn't do much damage to Steamroller's armor but they somehow significantly hurt him when they did hit his face.

Steamroller covered his face with one of his drum hands to protect it and began rushing forward towards Bumble Bee. The Titan leader stayed where she was until Steamroller was just in front of her. Steamroller took a swing blindly and missed as Bumble Bee flew straight up into the air.

Steamroller took his hand away from his face to regain his vision. He looked up towards Bumble Bee who was preparing her stingers again. Steamroller gathered his strength to his legs and leapt into the air. Bumble Bee was completely caught off guard and tried to block in the last second. It was too small a defense effort as Steamroller managed to get her with one of his drum hands.

"Argh!"

Bumble Bee fell to the ground. She landed with a thud. She groveled in pain as she tried top get up. Steamroller landed a few feet in front of her and prepared to bring down both drum hands on the vulnerable Bumble Bee. He got distracted as an explosive arrow impacted and blew-up in his face.

"Hey bolts-for-brains!"

Steamroller stumbled sideways and away from Bumble Bee. Steamroller looked in the direction of the arrow that struck him. Speedy was already firing more explosive arrows at the giant villain in rapid succession. Steamroller found it almost impossible to counter the barrage of explosive projectiles and continues to stumble back. Before he knew it, Steamroller had his back to the bottom part of a crane.

"Aqualad!" Speedy called out, "Give im' a large drink. I got an idea!"

Aqualad who came from the side got the idea and summoned water from a nearby water pipe that was broken when a flying piece of debris hit it. Aqualad gathered the water into a large ball above his head. He through the ball towards Steamroller. When the immense ball of water reached its target, it didn't explode like one would suspect. Instead it kept its shape submerged Steamroller and part of the crane.

"Now, Speedy!" shouted out Aqualad.

Speedy nodded and pulled out another arrow and slung it to his bow. As he drew back the arrow, he took the time to check the label on the tip to make sure it was the right arrow. The label on the tip read: 'freeze'. Yup, it was the right arrow.

"Chill out, buddy…" said Speedy as he let the arrow loose.

The arrow impacted with the water and instantly flash froze the whole thing. A cloud of frost covered the general area for a while. In those moments, a recovered Bumble Bee and the twins pulled along side Speedy and Aqualad as they tried to gaze into the cloud. The cloud eventually disappeared. It was clear enough now to see. What they saw was the stiff figure of Steamroller incased in solid ice. Steamroller looked like he actually tried to block the incoming arrow but did not know of the true function of the projectile.

"Nice going, Speedy," commented Bumble Bee.

"¡Eso era excelente!" said the twins.

"Thanks, good thing Robin and I exchange note on our weapons technology," replied Speedy.

"So now what?" inquired Aqualad.

"The police should arrive with the special capture unit any minute now," said Bumble Bee, "we'll just have to hold down the fort until they get here---"

Their attention was suddenly turned to the encased Steamroller. The ice around him formed a crack. A moment later, another crack formed on another spot. Then another crack. Then more came soon after. The ice even started dripping as it was spontaneously melting away. Eventually the whole thing exploded outward. Steam filled the air as the Titans flew backwards from the intense pressure from the shockwave.

The clouds cleared away and Steamroller stood there in his place, smoke and steam pumping out of open vents around his body. He was panting slightly as he looked down on the Titans a little ways from his position. He frowned down upon them and they stared back nervously from the ground.

"Now it's my turn!" yelled out Steamroller.

Steamroller suddenly turned around and faced the crane. He began banging on the sides of the crane. The cranes bottom metal from began to buckle and the whole thing started to shake wildly. Soon enough, the frame started to creak loudly and buckle on its own. The entire crane started to tip over as Steamroller stepped aside.

The crane took a full ten seconds before it finally hit the ground which gave enough time for the Titans to just get out of major harm's way. The managed to avoid a direct impact from the tall piece of machinery as it made a deafening crash on the ground.

The crane's front mast, where the cable hung from, hit a stack of barrels on the other end of the yard. They were filled with something flammable. The impact caused a major explosion and several barrels shot into the air like rockets, landing and exploding in other random spots around the yard, soon a fire was starting.

The Titans were sprawled all over the floor of the yard at varying distances from each other, struggling to get back up. Speedy got on one knee. He shook off the initial shock from the crane's impact and was just getting his senses back. Steamroller suddenly appeared in front of him. Speedy looked up. Steamroller was grinning slightly and raised a hand to bring it down on Speedy.

"Aww, dang…" said Speedy.

Steamroller brought down his drum hand on top of Speedy who managed to slide out of the way at the last second. Steamroller's hand created a huge crater on the ground. Speedy quickly rushed to a safer distance and prepared another arrow. As Steamroller was getting up, Speedy started firing. The explosive arrow did little except to annoy Steamroller. The villain charged towards Speedy.

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Titans Tower : East.

Terra was in the main room. She was uneasy. Not because of the lack of company she had there. Not because of old and painful memories as well. Her concerns lie on the present and it is with her new friends. She was sitting in front of the main computer, listening in concern. She could only listen since there was no video to watch. Even if there were, she wasn't that sure she'd like to see it.

With just a few program commands she has managed to activate the remote microphones from the Titans' communicators. It was a simple task, she was used to the computer in the original Titans Tower. This system seemed to be much of the same which allow her to operate it at ease. Plus Bumble Bee already gave her full access to it already.

She came here and activated the remote microphones in their communicators just as the Titans were leaving. She had been listening in on their ongoing battle with the alleged villain they called Steamroller. She didn't like what she was hearing.

"Guys, a little help here!" Speedy's voice said.

A lot of stomping and yelling from the monstrous villain could be heard. A crash then more stomping. Another explosion followed by another crash. Then a loud roar.

"I got you, man!" said Aqualad's voice.

A really nasty splashing sound followed by a gurgling outburst of curses. Metal meets metal in a loud gong-like crash.

"Move it you two!" yelled Bumble Bee's voice.

An explosion ripped through the speakers, so loud it caused a feed back. More crashes in tha background as the fight went on.

"¡Mi cabeza es ardiendo¡Ayuda!" either Más or Menos's voice, she couldn't tell accurately enough.

The audio suddenly stopped. Terra's finger rested on one of the buttons on the keyboard. She manually stopped the feed because she couldn't handle listening to it anymore. She at back on her chair. She didn't have to hear anymore to determine what was happening. The Team was losing.

At least for the moment, they were. Steamroller truly outclasses them in so many aspects that the advantages they hold over the villain is not amounting to much. Still she knew they were strong enough to win, somehow. They've beaten really serious threats before, but at what cost. Sure they might win but she knew that if that were the case, they'd likely come home with half their limbs in casts.

She couldn't bare to think of that. They were her new friends who have been so kind to her. Could she just let them fight a lousy battle like this? Granted there is lots of risk, particularly regarding herself. The Titans have been clear on why she should remain hidden for the mean time.

But no she wouldn't accept that. People who cared for her are in trouble. If she was anything of the hero she thought she once was or hope to be again, she would not stand by idle like this and wait for her friends to come back in crippled states. She made her decision.

She got up from her chair and rushed out the door.

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Back downtown, a few minutes later.

Steamroller had a hold on Speedy with his normal hand. The large villain held Speedy by the arms and torso and was steadily choking him a few feet above the ground. Speedy struggled as best he can but to no avail. Around them, the other Titans were sprawled all over the ground trying desperately trying to get back up again. Aqualad was the first to get up. Aqualad rushed towards Speedy and Steamroller.

Aqualad jumped kicked Steamroller but failed as the villain swatted him away with his free hand without even looking. The Atlantean fell to the ground with a thud. Steamroller grinned as he squeezed the life out of Speedy. Speedy's predicament looked very bleak at that point and it seemed like a hopeless situation.

"Puny human," said Steamroller, "It was your mistake to think you could ever match me!"

Steamroller smiled a very big smile. Bumble Bee, who had just recovered, saw an opportunity in that smile. She aimed one of her stingers very carefully at her intended target. She fired. The bolt of energy hit squarely Steamroller's pearly white teeth. The outcome was obvious.

The shock from the blast rattled the nerve endings in each and every one of Steamrollers teeth. It was the most unpleasant thing he ever experienced. He was forced to let go of Speedy to clutch his jaws with both his normal hands. Speedy dropped to the ground and soon was back on his two feet. Steamroller was swinging his head around, stomping his feet, and screaming in agony.

The rest of the Titans got back up on their feet. Steamroller finally shook off the pain in his jaws. He stared down on the Titans East with lots of anger. He attacked the closest heroes to him, which were Más and Menos. The twins gasped as they saw Steamroller heading towards them. The quickly grabbed each other's hand and sped away and out of danger. Steamroller's fist hits nothing but dirt.

Más and Menos reached a small pile of gravel set aside for making concrete. Keeping contact with each other, they started throwing pieces of gravel towards Steamroller rapidly. The gravel pieces flew like machinegun rounds, pelting Steamroller unmercifully. The villain used one of is oversized drum hands to block the onslaught of rocks.

Veracious as the twins were in their attack, it was their own speed that caused them to halt in their offense. Soon enough, they through the gravel at Steamroller so fast that they actually ran out of the stuff in less then half a minute. The twins looked at each other worriedly .

All around Steamroller the other Titans were readying attacks of their own. Steamroller never gave them the chance however as he stomped hard on the ground. The resulting shockwave swept all of the Titans from their feet. Everyone except for Aqualad fell on their butts. Aqualad rushed towards Steamroller on a stream of water under his feet.

Aqualad commanded the stream of water to whip him into the air. He flew like a bullet towards Steamroller. Steamroller looked too late as Aqualad's fist met his chest. Steamroller stumbled back as Aqualad dropped to the ground. Aqualad came up again with a fist to the stomach. Steamroller bent over. Aqualad jumped into the air and did a spinning kick to Steamroller's face.

Steamroller spun around from Aqualad's kick and did a complete three-sixty. However, when Steamroller came back around he countered the Atlantean's attacks by swinging out his drum hands. Aqualad saw it too late and couldn't react. Steamroller's drum hands impacted Aqualad sending him flying down hard into the ground along with the other Titans.

"Aaargh!"

Steamroller cried out mockingly at them. "Rrrrrggghh!"

A voice comes from out of nowhere. "Hey you, with the butt-ugly mug!"

Steamroller swung his head around and looked to the source of the new voice. He saw a girl with long flowing blonde hair, dressed in a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans. The girl was unusual to Steamroller since he doesn't recognize her. Even more unusual to Steamroller was the fact that this girl was standing on a floating piece of concrete some ten feet off the ground.

"Since you looked, I guess you admit it," said Terra.

Terra threw her glowing hand forward. From behind her, a large slab of concrete suddenly lifted off of the ground and flew at Steamroller on its side. Steamroller went wide-eyed as the slab of concrete's wide end smacked his entire body and propelled him into the far side of the construction yard and crashing into a maintenance shed turning it into a pile of debris. Terra gently floated down towards the rest of the team that were struggling to get up.

"Are you guys alright," she asked.

"I've been better," said Speedy.

"Wait a minute," said Aqualad while clutching his ribs, "Terra, what are you doing here?"

"Helping out guys out."

"But we told you to stay in the tower," said Bumble Bee, "I think we were already clear on how big a risk it is that you be seen in public."

"Sí, tú estás en el gran peligro cuando tú estás fuera," said the twins.

"I know all that," said Terra, "But when I knew you guys were in trouble, I just had to do something to help!"

"We were handling the situation just fine, Terra," said Speedy.

"Didn't sound that way from the remote microphones."

"Huh? Wait, you activated the remote microphones on our communicators and have been listening in on us through out this whole time?" inquired Bumble Bee.

"Uh, yeah…" said Terra, "Sorry if I did that but I was just so worried about you guys."

At that moment Steamroller burst through the debris pile he created a while ago. The Titans looked towards Steamroller. Más and Menos held hands and got into a ready position. Bumble Bee aimed her stingers. Speedy took two arrows from his back and slung them both on his bow. Speedy was about to fire when Terra raised an arm in front of him, halting him.

"I got this!" said Terra.

"No way!" objected Speedy, "You can't match this guy! He'll pound you into the---"

"Speedy, don't worry, I've dealt with tougher guys before."

"But---"

"I won't let you guys get hurt, not anymore, so please…" Terra said with a little more authority. The Titans East slowly backed down away from her. Terra gave an appreciative nod to them. She looked towards Steamroller who was just shaking off his dizziness. She slowly walked towards the villain. Her hands glowed brightly as she did, Slabs of concrete started to lift off the ground around her. Behind her, the Titans East watched nervously.

"I won't let anyone hurt my friends again," she said to no-one in particular, "and this time I will keep that promise, no matter what…"

Steamroller charged Terra head-long. Terra stood her ground and raised her hands forward. The floating slabs of concrete shot towards Steamroller one by one. Steamroller blocked as the first slab impacted him. It was strong enough to actually stop him in his charge as it exploded into dust.

More slabs of concrete impacted Steamroller and exploded into smaller particles just like the first. Steamroller slid back a few feet with every impact, unable to counter the force of each hit or recover in between slabs. Steamroller came to a stop as Terra ran out of slabs to throw.

Steamroller was panting heavily. Terra spun her arms around over her head. The smaller broken pieces of the concrete slabs came together and formed into one giant ball of concrete right over Steamroller. Terra released her hold on the concrete ball and let gravity take over. The ball fell a good twenty feet down towards Steamroller.

The villain realizes the danger and is able to stop it just in time by raising his two normal hands to actually catch the ball as it almost flattened him into the earth. Amazingly enough, Steamroller held the sphere of concrete over his head for a good while using his massive strength. Terra looked a bit surprised.

"Nnnngggrrrrggghhh!"

Steamroller threw the giant concrete ball towards where Terra was standing. Terra stood her ground. She held both her arms forward then swung them out in opposite directions. The giant concrete sphere split right in half as she did this and the two half-spheres of concrete flew harmlessly onto the sides. After which, Terra saw Steam roller charging at her again.

Steamroller brought his two drum hands together into one large drum that he rolled on the ground as he came barging down on Terra with his head down. Terra launched a few more slabs of concrete but the were deflected by the large drum as Steamroller kept his charge unhindered. Terra narrowed her eyes and went with a new approach.

Terra crouched low to the ground then quickly swung one arm with a glowing hand up. A length of earth raised above the ground at an angle forming a ramp with the launching end just a few feet in front of Terra and about ten feet into the air. Steamroller couldn't see it with his head down. He rode right up the earth ramp and launched off the other end.

Steamroller was airborne before he knew it. He flailed his massive arms in the air which little to stabilize his flight. The flight was too short anyway as he soon crashed into the earth and went rolling down the dirt. Steam roller struggled to get up again.

He looked towards Terra. He saw another huge slab of concrete heading towards him. He couldn't react on time as the slab hit him squarely in the gut and pushed him back some distance. Steamroller grabbed onto the slab of concrete and used all his strength to toss it aside. He was panting heavily as he came to a stop from his slide. He looked up at Terra who looked poised for another attack. Steamroller thought about his options and it didn't take him long to decide.

Steamroller turned tail and ran away. He busted right through another section of the fence surrounding the compound and came out on the streets once again. Terra was stumped. The other Titans knew what to say however.

"He's getting away!" pointed out Aqualad, "We have to---aarrgh!"

Aqualad collapsed on the ground, clutching his ribs with his arms and groaning in agony. The rest of the Team gathered around him. Bumble Bee supported him and had him sit on the ground.

"Dude, looks like you got hit harder than you thought," said Speedy.

"You're in no condition to keep fighting," pointed out Bumble Bee, "You stay here."

"¿Y nuestro enemigo que se está comportando violentamente down las calles cuando hablamos?" said Más and Menos.

"Yeah, we can't let Steamroller get away either," concurred Bumble Bee.

"I'll go after him," said Terra.

Everyone looked at the blonde geo-morph elemental. Terra stared back.

"Guys, please, I've beaten tougher monsters single-handedly," said Terra, "Aqualad needs you guys here. Let me do this."

Bumble Bee, being the leader, was forced to make a very hard decision. Terra might just be able to pull this off but she can't be that sure. There are still risks involving her if she is seen in public. But steamroller in a threat that cannot be ignored. They had to stop him but they also had to tend to a fallen Aqualad. Hard decision indeed. Bumble Bee eventually decided.

"Okay, here's how we'll do it," she said, "Terra can go after Steamroller but not alone. Speedy, you cover her back. Más, Menos, you guys help me with Aqualad here. We still need to get you somewhere safe. Everyone got that?"

They all gave their respective affirmations.

"Okay then, Titans Go!"

Terra summoned a slab of concrete towards her. She hopped onto it and was followed by Speedy. Together they both sped off to pursue the fleeing Steamroller. Bumble Bee and the twins continued to tend to Aqualad's injuries.

Meanwhile above in the heights of the tall skyscrapers, someone was watching the Titans. Not someone, more of something. On one particular rooftop near the scene, a bald man dressed in black and had a sheathed sword on his back looked down on the teenage heroes. His sight particularly followed the two teens speeding away on a hunk of concrete.

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Somewhere in a secrete facility.

Professor Chang was seated in a dimly lit control room of sorts. His chair was elevated on a platform overlooking four other chairs occupied by his white-suited henchmen. Each of the henchmen was seated in front of his own computer terminal working. Chang oversaw everything that was going on.

Suddenly, a blinking alarm appeared on one of the screens of one of the terminals. The henchman in charge was the only one who noticed and addressed it. The henchman looked closely at the data that was presented to him on his screen. He immediately knew that the data was important and needed his boss's attention.

"Professor," the henchman called out.

Chang turned his head towards the henchman, "Yes, what is it?"

"Mech-ranger unit four has just reported in. The target has been located."

Chang nearly jumped off his seat. "Really? Where is unit four now?"

"Currently in pursuit of the target, Professor."

"Show me the live video feed from unit four's sight. Put it on the main screen."

"Yes sir."

The henchman got to work, punching in a few commands on his terminal. Soon a large screen appeared in the forward wall. Everyone turned to watch the screen. It showed static for a while but gradually cleared up to show two teens, a blonde and an archer, speeding along the road on a flying piece of concrete.

Chang stared at the image intently, thought forming in his head. She is awake now. That in itself was an interesting turn of events. But he focused on one thing in particular. The fact that the two were on a flying slab of concrete told Chang something he really needed to know. Her powers are manifesting, which is good, very good.

That was one problem down. Now all he has to do is to capture her. He didn't worry about it much though, he was assured by his partner, Brother Blood, that when they did find her, which he did, they would have a guaranteed means to getting her back. Then the true plan can begin.

"Finally," said Professor Chang, "the wheels are starting to turn."

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Author's note: Still more action to come! Wait for the next update cause that's where the story really develops. Again: Comments? Suggestions? Violent Reactions? Send em' all! 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans East, or anyone else for that matter. No wait, I do have an OC in this chapter, so I guess I do own one thing in this fic.

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In the deep caverns that lie below False Vulcan.

"Is that so…?"

Brother Blood sat in the middle of a vast control room of sorts. In front of him were several men seated on their individual computer terminals. On the wall facing Blood was a huge computer screen. The screen's space was currently occupied by the enlarged bust of Professor Chang, He and Blood were discussing important current events.

"Yes, my friend," replied Chang, "My mech-ranger is currently in pursuit of her right now as we speak."

"Tell me has she---?"

"I know what you're going to ask, my friend. And yes, her powers are manifesting fully."

Brother Blood smiled upon hearing this. This was a good turn of events, particularly for their master plan of activating the GeoHammer. Things were finally looking up and it has finally been proven that all their efforts so far have not been in vain. Now all that was left was the obstacle of actually retrieving the girl from the custody of the ever so annoying Titans East.

Luckily for them, Blood had already prepared a contingency plan. The issue will soon be addressed and if all goes well, they will have complete success in a matter of days. Blood was almost unable to contain the excitement he experienced at that moment.

"Now all we need to do is to reclaim her," said Chang on the screen,

"Then we must act immediately," said Blood.

"No not yet."

"Huh? Why?"

"My preparations have not yet been completed. If we capture her now, it will only mean she will have more opportunity to escape or be saved in the time remaining for me to complete my preparations. It is suggested that we apprehend her when I do complete the preparations for the process and then we will be safe even if she manages to escape afterwards."

"Hmm, you're right. But we don't have to worry, I guess. The Titans still don't know about the GeoHammer and they are not about to find out soon. We can take our time. Still, tell me how much time you will need to complete the process requirements."

"At the present rate, I shall be done in about forty hours, maybe less."

"Good that should give me enough time to finish things on this end. Once the time is right, we will seize the girl and our plan will finally take fruit."

"It is to my understanding that you, my friend, have prepared a plan for doing just that, Is it ready?"

Brother Blood was about to answer when someone already answered for him.

"Oh, I assure you, Professor Chang..."

Brother Blood spun his chair to the source of the female voice. Similarly, Professor Chang looked towards Blood's backside to see who spoke. Out of the shadows, came the voluptuous figure of a young woman. Chang stared at her questionably while Blood smirked since he knew who she was.

The lady was about five and a half feet tall with a beautiful figure full of nice curves. This was highlighted by her wardrobe which really didn't leave much to the imagination. She wore a tight fitting leather suit which covered all her body except the neck-up. It was mostly shaded in black and purple and had some light tribal designs printed on it. Her skin on her face was light and her waist length hair was a gleaming silver color. Her eyes were gold in color and looked like those of a cat's.

"I am very much ready," she said.

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Downtown, Steel City.

Steamroller plowed straight through a parked SUV as he made a sharp curve too fast. The SUV flew to its side, crashing into a nearby storefront window, completely shattering it. People nearby screamed as they frantically got out of the rampaging villain's way. Steamroller barely registered any of this and continued down the street.

Seconds later, a flying slab of concrete carrying Terra and Speedy came to the same corner and came down the street still in pursue of the fleeing Steamroller. People were likewise surprised at this spectacle, cause even in Steel City, flying pieces of concrete are rarely ever seen.

Terra was hell-bent on catching Steamroller. One could see it in her face; the sheer determination in her expression said it all. It still isn't clear why she is so ambitious to capture and apprehend the large villain trying to escape. It wasn't clear even to her. Was it to get back at Steamroller for hurting Aqualad? She did reason out that she wanted to protect her new friends. Was it to prove that she still had the makings of a hero? God knows she is capable. Or was this just something she could do to gain a little bit of redemption? She couldn't answer that and in all truth she didn't want to.

Speedy would have loved to have the girl's determination but at the moment all he wanted to have was a barf bag. He was an agile fighter and his usual form of transport is to swing around in a grappling arrow like Robin or his mentor, the Green Arrow. But Terra was, to be blunt, a lousy pilot. Sure this probably looks cool from a bystander's perspective and Terra seems to be fine with it, but God help anyone that she takes as a passenger.

Speedy wondered how long they have been on this chase. How long and how far have they been chasing Steamroller? Was it like four or five minutes ago that they left the construction yard? Speedy estimated they must've gone a distance of around eleven, seventeen, heck twenty-five city blocks as far as he can remember. So far, Steamroller has knocked down eight lamp posts, flattened six mailboxes, crashed into five cars, broke over twenty storefront windows, and thankfully hasn't hurt anyone yet.

"Hold on!" Terra suddenly yelled out.

Speedy frantically looked up to see what was happening. He saw a flying sedan that was heading right for them. The concrete slab that carried the two suddenly dipped a couple of feet. The sedan flew right over their heads. Speedy was barely able to hang on

"Looks like this guy wants to go on the offensive!" Terra pointed out.

Speedy looked forward again, albeit a little hesitant. He saw steamroller just block ahead of them grabbing a parked car and hurling it at them. The car that Steamroller threw flew at the two heroes like a missile. Speedy immediately grabbed the sides of the concrete slab they were on. Terra predictably evaded by swaying the slab up and allowing the car to pass under them.

Steamroller was about to turn tail again and run. Terra steadied the concrete slab long enough to give Speedy a good line of fire. Speedy got the idea immediately and slung an arrow to his bow. He let the arrow loose and it flew straight towards Steamroller's lower limbs. The arrowhead popped open into a bola which tied around Steamroller's legs tripping him as he tried to run. Steamroller fell flat on his face.

This gave an opportunity for terra and Speedy as they approached the fallen villain. As Terra neared, Steamroller suddenly snapped of the cabled on his legs and quickly got up. Terra and Speedy were caught off-guard as they come to an abrupt halt. Steamroller quickly swung down one of his drum hands down on the two heroes.

Reacting as quickly as they can, Terra and Speedy jumped in opposite directions as the Drum hand came barreling down on them. Steamroller missed the two teens but managed to smash into bit the concrete slab they were riding on. The two heroes fell opposite of each other right in front of Steamroller.

Steamroller then had to make a decision of whether to attack the girl or the boy. He was most familiar with Speedy so he decided to go after him first. It turned out to be a bad call as Speedy was playing possum. The second that Steamroller came within a few feet of him, Speedy turned on his back and fired an arrow right at Steamroller's face. It was a snare arrow; exploding into a net which entangled Steamroller's entire head.

Steamroller stumbled backwards grabbing onto his face trying to remove the entangled net on his face that was nearly choking him. At this time Terra and Speedy got back on their feet. Steamroller finally managed to remove the netting from his face and allowed himself to breath again. He snarled at the two heroes in front of him who were readying themselves for a fight.

Steamroller opted to attack terra first this time. It turned out to be another bad call. Terra reacted quickly and raised a pillar from the ground right under her launching her into the air. Steamroller's fist hit nothing but soil and cement. Terra came down with a foot to Steamroller's face. She kicked off of him and flipped backwards.

Steamroller stumbled backwards. Speedy acted then and there by shooting off another explosive arrow towards Steamroller.

"Do us all a favor and just go down already!" he yelled.

The arrow exploded on Steamroller's chest but did little to stop the villain. Instead it only made him more pissed off. Steamroller charged at Speedy and took a swing at him. Speedy evaded by jumping up and over Steamroller's drum fist and landing perched on the villain's back. Speedy quickly pulled out a grappling wire from his belt and tied it around Steamroller's neck. Steamroller predictably tried to shake speedy off. Speedy rode the giant villain like a rodeo horse.

"Yee-haw! Woah! yahhh! wahh!"

Steamroller tried in vain to shake Speedy off of his back. The teen hero was able to hold tightly enough so that he was locked into place. Steamroller started to move again, running around as he tried to get rid of Speedy. The two barreled down the road knocking over a car on its side in the process.

"Speedy!" cried out Terra.

Terra ran after Speedy and Steamroller, having nothing else to do. She watched as Speedy and Steamroller busted straight through a large glass door entrance into the Shady Hills Mall.

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The Shady Hills Mall.

Located near the center of Steel City. This grand structure houses over three hundred stores on seven stories worth of space. As usual it is bustling with people from all walks of life. People were walking around simply mingling and searching for a good buy here and there. The whole building was structured like a hexagon with a space in the center for a marble fountain and six different colored marble pillars for each point in the hexagon. A relatively peaceful atmosphere.

The atmosphere was broken as soon as Steamroller with a struggling-to-hold-on Speedy on his back crashed right through the front entrance and started running down the ground floor uncontrollably. Steamroller wasn't even looking towards where he was going since he was sorely concentrating on trying to remove Speedy from his back. Predictably enough, people scrambled to safety.

Speedy didn't have an easy time either. Terra's ride was bad enough but Steamroller was making him sick to his stomach. It was his resolve as a hero that was the only thing that was keeping his lunch in his stomach. He found it harder to hold on but managed anyway as Steamroller started to ram into a few, make that a lot, of things on his rampage.

Steamroller plows right through a marble pillar, breaking it apart into bits. He tramples all over a bench, flattening it to the ground. He knocks over several palm plants and litters the floor with those little white gardening stones. He breaks in and out of several storefronts. And finally he plows right through the central fountain of the mall, sending marble tiles, bits of cement, and a torrent of water all over the place.

"Whhoooaaa!"

Then and only then was Speedy finally thrown off his back. The archer fell to the ground with a splash as he landed in the middle of the flooded floor. He slides a good distance away and stopped when he hits a colored pillar. Speedy managed to pick himself up and shake of the dizziness.

"Rrrrghhh!"

Just as he did, Speedy saw Steamroller groggily stomping towards him. Steamroller put both his drum hands together again into one large drum and rolled in on the floor and charged towards Speedy. Speedy reacted fast enough to get out of the villains way just as he was about to be flattened. Steamroller instead, crashed into the colored pillar, breaking away the bottom part and sending cracks along the rest of it.

"Daaaahhhh!" cried out Steamroller.

He was getting tired. He was running low on energy for the first time in the day and it was messing with his head. He was starting to get dizzy and he knew he needed to get away and fast. But he knew the Titans would not allow that. Speedy was in no better shape. Fatigue was setting in and found that vthe had a hard time just standing up straight.

Steamroller managed to turn around and face Speedy again. Speedy was able to ready a few arrows on his bow. The two looked like they were about to make their last stand.

"You can not…defeat me!" yelled Steamroller.

"That's what they all say," replied Speedy.

"And they're always wrong…"

Steamroller and Speedy took a second to look to where the voice came from. A short distance behind Speedy, Terra calmly walked down the floor, hands glowing brightly. Behind the girl, all the debris caused by Steamroller's rampage through the first floor (bits and chunks of marble, cement, pottery, soil, etc) where floating along following Terra's movement.

"Step aside Speedy," she said, "I got this…"

Speedy smirked. Knowing not to argue with, he obliged and took a step out of her way. Steamroller and Terra were now in direct eye contact. Steamroller snarled at the girl while Terra remained as calm as she walked in. Her demeanor was frightening none the less.

Steamroller acted first. He charged head-long towards Terra. Terra threw forward her golden glowing hands. Giant blocks of marble and stone began to shoot towards Steamroller. Soon enough, steamroller found himself going up against a virtual torrent of stone as he is pelted continually.

Steamroller tried his best to block but found that it was useless. The storm of earthen materials came from all directions, not just from the front. Terra was commanding the broken pieces of the stones that impacted steamroller from the front to spontaneously turn around and pelt him from the back and sides.

Eventually Terra stopped the bombardment of stone on Steamroller. She held the remaining pieces of rock that were still big enough to use at bay with a wave of her hand. She watched what Steamroller would do.

The villain in question stood there for a while, not moving a muscle. He started to stumble forward, one foot ay a time. Terra didn't seem to react. She knew what was coming. Steamroller finally fell forward on his face, completely knocked out.

Terra breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hands. The pieces of stone dropped to the ground. She looked around to find Speedy standing a few feet next to her.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

"Well, I can say I've been better," he replied, "But I could also say I've been worse. Good job, Terra."

"Thanks"

Before they knew it, people started to gather around the scene to check out what has happened. Speedy didn't seem to mind much but Terra steadily grew uneasy. Above them, several other people were peeking over the balconies and down on the scene. On the top-most balcony, a little girl that would look about six or seven years old looked down on the scene.

Speedy moved to the unconscious figure of Steamroller and checked to see that the villain was really out of commission. He seemed satisfied.

"Yup, all in a days work…" said Speedy sarcastically.

He looked towards Terra and noticed her discomfort around the gathering crowd. He started to get worried. He soon found other things to worry about.

Someone from the crowd yelled out. "Look out! The pillar!"

Everyone looked towards the pillar which Steamroller damaged a few moments ago. Cracks started to form and climb all the way up the pillar. The pillar started to collapse entirely and Pieces started falling down on the people. Bellow, people started screaming as debris was bout to rain upon them.

Terra went wide-eyed for a split second and reacted accordingly. She raised her hand to stop the falling pieces of debris and made them drop to where there be no people to hurt. Speedy helped too, by shooting up a few arrows that completely obliterated the large pieces that fell.

The situation seemed under control when the last f the pieces fell to the ground. But that was not all. On the sixth floor balcony, the floor directly over the broken pillar followed in the collapse and dipped forward at an angle. There, the six or seven year old girl slid down the dipped floor and over the railing. She screamed loudly as she fell from six stories high.

The crowds bellow gasped and screamed as they saw the girl plunge. Terra saw it early and took action without even taking a breath. Terra ran forward and summoned a slab of the floor rise from the ground. Terra hopped onto the slab and flew straight up. Terra stretched her arms out, and caught the falling girl just as she reached the third floor balcony's level.

Terra gently cradled the petrified girl as she slowly set down the slab of floor back in its place. The girl in Terra's arms opened her eyes to see what happened. She seemed surprised to see Terra and how she wasn't a stain on the floor like she expected to be by now.

Terra let the girl down gently and checked-up on her. "Are you alright?"

The girl nervously nodded back at her.

"Okay, now go find your parent and be careful, alright?" Terra gave the girl a gentle pat on the head.

The girl nodded one last time with a slight smile on her face. Terra smiles back. The girl ran off into the crowd. It was then that Terra noticed the crowd gathered around her. She stood up slowly. She became very uneasy as she could feel hundreds of eyes stare at her. She was so nervous she was just about ready to fly out on a rock.

Suddenly, to her surprise, applause started braking out. People cheered her all around. Terra looked around a little surprised. She somehow spotted Speedy among the gathered crowd. He gave her an approving smirk and a thumbs up. Terra looked back and helplessly blushed.

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Later that night at Titans Tower: East.

Terra was back in the main room. Along with her were Bumble Bee, Aqualad, and the twins, Más and Menos. They were discussing the events of earlier in the day. Overall the conversation concentrated on the positive side with a couple of problems being addressed here and there. Speedy was not present because he was escorting the apprehended Steamroller back to jail.

"Well, all in all, I'd say this day turned out fine," said Aqualad, "Steamroller's goin back to jail, No-one got hurt that badly, and…well there must be something else that went right today, I just can't remember right now."

"How about the fact that we didn't see hide nor hair of Brother Blood or Professor Chang?" stated Bumble Bee glaring in mock anger towards Terra.

"I'm sorry," Terra apologized, "I know you guys told me that it was important that I stay in the tower but if you only felt what felt about the situation you guys would kinda understand why I just had to go help out."

"Oh believe me Terra," said Aqualad, "I felt quite a lot." He put a hand around his stomach.

"Oh my, are you okay Aqualad?"

"Es fino, no preocúpate por él tanto. Lo está falsificando," said the twins.

Bumble Bee giggled. "Yeah don't worry about him, he's cool, Terra."

"Yeah they're right," concurred Aqualad.

"Are you sure," asked Terra, "You took a really nasty blow back there, ya' know?"

"That was nothing really. May have put me out of commission for a while but trust me, I've been hit harder before and I still came out smelling like a newborn mackerel."

Terra looked at him with slight disgust.

"No la mejor elección de palabras, el Sr. Aqualad, el Sr. Aqualad," said the twins.

"Sorry I probably should've used better words than that."

"No it's fine," said Terra, "I get what you mean anyways."

"Now moving on to more pressing matters," said Bumble Bee, "I'm gonna have to stress again how much you should avoid going outside Terra."

"I know, I know," replied Terra.

"We were just lucky that neither Blood nor Chang made a move today. But who knows when they will snatch up an opportunity to grab you."

"Yeah, she's right," said Aqualad, "Granted we have a lot to thank you for, what with you saving our butts and all, you still took a pretty big risk by going out in public like you did."

"Odiaríamos pensar qué podía haberte pasado si tú fueras capturado por nuestros enemigos de algún modo," said the twins.

"I know all that and I'm really sorry," said Terra.

"Then I'm glad you understand," said Bumble Bee.

"But of course you do know that if something like this were to happen again, as in I think that you guys will be in a lot of trouble, I won't hesitate to do what I know is the right thing which is to save you guys. And I'll do it regardless of the risk."

"Terra, please, you should---"

"I made that mistake before, Bumble Bee. I won't let it happen again at whatever cost…"

A hush fell among the teens present. No-one knew what to say to anyone. For a while everyone just stood there looking dumb. Eventually, something broke the silence but it was none of the five people present that did it. The doors slid open to reveal Speedy holding up four whole pizza boxes in the air..

"Well I'm back!" he announced out loud, "And let me tell you I am famished. Good thing too cause I took the liberty of ordering out some good Italian grub! C'mon guys, get em' while they're hot!"

Everyone looked at him not really noticing his presence. Speedy noted that no-one seemed to react much to his announcement. Usually the twins were the first to his feet whenever he brought home pizza. He also noted the mournful faces on everyone.

"Well, from the looks of things, I guess you guys have been watching 'Bambie' without the second half of the flick again, huh?"

Again, nobody reacted. Speedy was getting rather concerned right then.

"Okay, seriously, you all look like some one just died. What's going on already?"

The other five teens looked at each other for a while. Bumble Bee was the first to put on a smile and speak back to Speedy.

"Oh nothin'," she said, "Just glad your back that's all."

"Huh?"

"Isn't it nice to have all you friends here close to you, safe and sound?" inquired Bumble Bee to the rest of the group.

"…yes it is…" said Terra.

Aqualad, Más and Menos smiled at her. Speedy looked at the bunch like he was looking at a bunch of mental patients.

"Fine, keep your secretes," said Speedy, "As for me, I'd rather we just start eating already. I'm freakin' starving over here!"

"Ooh, is that pizza!" inquired Terra.

"Well, it ain't noodles, if that's what you're asking."

"Yaay, ¡comamos ya!" exclaimed the twins.

"Hey Speedy," called out Aqualad, "There better not be any anchovies or I swear to Poseidon I'll feed you to a squid!"

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Outside the tower.

The ocean waves hit the craggy walls of the cliff that served as the edge of Steel City. Above the roaring waves on the edge of the cliff. A lone woman looked towards the Tower of the Titans East. The woman wore a tight fitting leather suit. Her hair a gleaming silver complementing her golden cat-like eyes.

She smiled as she stared at the tower from where she perched. She laughed sadistically into the cold night air. She licked he lips

"Enjoy this night, oh lady of the earth," she said, "soon you shall be in our hands and victory will belong to us…"

She laughed into the air again.

"Victory, thy name is…Fallacy…"

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Author's note: Kinda short, but I'm saving a lot of stuff to be said on the next updates. A belated Thanks to all those who have reviewed me and an advanced 'thank you!' to all who will. Watch out for the next update coming soon. As usual: Pls. R&R!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own the Titans East. Also, the unedited version of the lyrics used on this chapter is copy written by their respective artists.

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The next morning at Titans Tower: East.

The door to the main room opened to reveal Speedy who apparently just got out of bed. His hair was messed up and he didn't have his complete uniform on. He had on a simple red t-shirt along with his usual combat trousers and boots. He yawned wide as he walked down the stairs, around the pool, and into the kitchen.

This wasn't uncommon for him, being the first one up. This was probably due to his years of training as the Green Arrows apprentice. He was used to being the first one up almost every morning and no-one would be awake for about half an hour.

On his way, he noticed the remote control on the counter top. He picked it up and looked at it for a second. He used it to turn on the main computer. He fixed his hair as he turned on the music player function. He left the remote alone for a while as he reached into the fridge to retrieve a pizza box. He opened it and saw two slices left from last night.

He puts the two slices in the microwave and sets the time. He goes back to the remote and selects a song from the 'wake up in the morning' playlist Bumble Bee created. It contained a some up-beat songs and a few disco classics. Speedy browsed through the selection but couldn't find any preferences so he just put on shuffle.

The computer played an up-beat disco song. Speedy turned to the microwave and turned it on. The timer started to count down. Speedy watched the pizza slices spin on the microwave's glass tray. After a while Speedy unconsciously started to nod his head to the beat. He soon started taping his foot to the song. Eventually he was swaying his head from side to side.

Eventually the microwave gave its generic 'ding' sound to signify that the pizza was done. At that same moment the music player changed to another song. It happened to be one of Speed's more familiar hits which was Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive." Speedy, as he was taking out the slices from the microwave, sang along with the song. But, deciding to have a little fun, he used his own lyrics which went a little something like this:

"_At first I was afraid to eat a pizza pie,_

_Kept thinking this is not good, this is a pizza pie _

_And I spent oh so many nights just eating my crispy fried prawn_

_And I grew strong, because of my crispy fried prawn."_

He set down the plate where he put down his two slices and started dancing a bit as he moved around the counter and continued on with the first stanza.

"Then came a box from outer space 

_I looked at it and took it with a smirk upon my face_

_I opened it and I was in shock_

_It was the biggest pizza pie I'd ever see_

_I took one bite, within five seconds_

_It was gone, just like potato chips!"_

He grabs a long wooden spoon that was laying around on the counter and used it like a mic.

"_And now pizza is what I adore_

_If you're not pizza pie delivery_

_You're not welcome anymore_

_Because for my pizza pie_

_I never want to say good-bye_

_And just for you, I would lay down and die!"_

He started sidestepping and swaying his midsection.

"_Because now I love pizza pie. _

_As long I've got pizza pie I know I'll stay alive_

_I want all my garlic beef, pepperoni, double cheese_

_All over my, my pizza pie…_whoa!"

Speedy dropped the wooden spoon and spontaneously froze in place as soon as his sight went towards the entrance to the main room. Because standing in front of the door was Terra, with one arm clutching her gut and the other arm covering her mouth trying desperately to suppress the urge to giggle uncontrollably. Speedy's face turned beat red as he tried to mutter some kind of saying.

"Terra!…um I…uh…you…you see I, umm… How long have you been there?"

Terra got control long enough to answer. "Oh, around 'crispy fried prawn'…"

"Um… well the thing is…I, um…" he looked towards the plate of pizza and back at her, "…want some pizza?"

Terra giggled. "Sure, why not."

Terra walked down towards where Speedy was standing. She took the liberty of taking a seat on one of the stools and took one of the slices, taking a bite out of it. Speedy eventually joined her and sat next to her on another stool and also started to munch down on the remaining slice.

"Just for the record," said Speedy between bites, "I don't do this every morning, ya know."

"Really?" replied Terra, "That's too bad. I would have loved to her your take on tacos."

"Um, sure, yeah. Not a word to the others, okay?"

"Depends on how much you're willing to pay…"

Speedy stared at her.

"…I'm kidding…"

"You have a real sick sense of humor, you know that?"

"Yeah, I guess. But when you think about it, a couple of months training with Slade would do that to you."

Speedy was somehow silenced by that last remark. She mentioned Slade. That was something they thought she would never do. They made it a point to avoid such topics when they were talking to her and here she is bringing it up herself. Speedy was at a loss of words and could do nothing but stare at her again.

"…what?"

"Um, are sure you're cool mentioning Slade's name just like that?

"…Oh don't worry about it, I'm cool."

"But Terra…"

"You guys were right. It just the past. No use getting caught up in it. Sure a lot of bad stuff happened but above all that I had a lot to learn from those experiences. I should've come in to terms with it a long time ago but I was just pitying myself too much. I finally learned that despite of what I may have been in the past, the only ting that matters now is what I may become in the future."

"…Wow, what got you to thinking like that?"

"Yesterday, when you guys were out there fighting, I was worried about you guys. I was worried some of you might get really hurt. After all the stuff you guys did for me, I didn't want that happening. You guys were the only important thing back then so I started thinking 'to hell with the past'. I had friends that needed helping and I wasn't about to stand there and do nothing."

Speedy smiled. "I'm glad you see tings that way. Even if we told you not to, I should thank you for coming out yesterday like you did. God knows we owe you our butts and so does that kid from the mall."

"Oh that. You were there too. You would've found a way to save her even without me."

"Still, you reacted a lot quicker than I ever could have."

"Hmm, must all that training I've been through, both with Slade and the Titans."

"Training, nothing. I say it's 'cause you're a natural born hero. That's all."

"…Speedy…Thanks."

They have finished their pizza by then and Speedy took the liberty of taking away the dirty plate. On his way back, He took a couple of glasses which he field with water from a nearby dispenser. He handed one glass to Terra and kept one for himself. Terra took the glass and gave a nod on thanks.

Speedy raised his glass to Terra. "To the future, then…"

Terra looked at him for a while. Eventually, she raised her glass to his and made a clanking sound as the glasses hit each other.

"To the future…" she said.

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Somewhere in the secrete lair of Professor Chang.

A bunch of white-suited henchmen were doing some kind of work in a large circular room of some sort. Chang stood in one corner as he overlooked the entire operation as it took place in front of him. As he did, a small smile graced his wrinkled old lips. Everything was going according to plan, he thought to himself. Thing have finally began to move in their favor once again.

He took careful note of the things that he observed. On most of the walls in the room, there were plenty of computer terminals that were attached to the walls and floors. Wires connected every terminal to every other terminal in the room as well as to a myriad of other gadgets. Some of the henchmen were hard at work connecting the wires and cables to their respective ports. Others were on the terminals themselves doing a little debugging.

Chang looked around a bit more. He noted a special metallic chair that sat near the center of the room. One glance at the chair and anyone would know that it was strictly meant to hold someone down. Anyone who was seated at that would most likely be held down by five built-in shackles, tow for each wrist, two for each ankle, and one for the waist. Chang smiled a little wider, knowing who would soon be sitting in that chair.

Chang also noted one last particular device that sat in the middle of the room, just a few feet in front of the chair. It looked like a round pedestal that rose four feet off the ground at its peak. It had some kind of four-pronged claw at the top of it which looked like it was meant to hold something. At the base of the device, it had nearly five dozen cables attached to it.

Soon, a single henchman entered the room carrying with him what looked like an oversized lunchbox. Chang saw the man and went towards him. The henchman stopped and stood in attention as Chang approached him.

"Sir, the crystal is ready," said the henchman.

"Show me," ordered Chang.

The henchman walked to a nearby table and set the lunchbox down. Chang kept a close eye on the box, the whole time. The henchman opened the box and took out a large crystal. Chang walked up to the henchman who handed him the crystal. Chang examined the crystal more closely.

The crystal was colored in a brilliant shade of amber-orange and was roughly the size of a large watermelon but weighed just over a pound which allowed Professor Chang, in spite of his age, to carry it with relative ease. The crystal was not perfect, by any definition. It had uncut, rough edges and its general shape was irregular, same as the kind of rock that has just been dug out of the ground before you take it to a jeweler.

Chang didn't seem to mind any of the crystal's imperfections however. He knew the true purpose of the crystal that he held and it was not to look pretty. He handed it back to the henchman that brought it in. He then gave an order to the henchman.

"Prepare it for installation," he ordered.

The henchman with the crystal nodded and walked to strange pedestal that was in the middle of the room. He placed the crystal on top of the four-pronged claw at the top. He pressed a hidden switch at the side of the device which caused the claw to clamp down on the crystal holding it in place.

The henchman then moved to a nearby computer terminal, turned it on, and began working. He entered a set of commands into the terminal that must have somehow caused the pedestal to 'turn on' as it began giving off a slight humming noise. As the final command was entered, the crystal suddenly sparked wildly with electrical discharge but quickly settled down. The crystal settled into a deep amber glow.

On the side, Professor Chang seemed pleased with the events that just occurred. He walked over to an empty computer terminal which was most likely there for his personal use. He entered a few commands on the keyboard. Suddenly, the façade of Brother Blood appeared on the screen.

"What is it, Professor Chang?" asked Blood's image.

"Preparations have been made, my friend," said Chang, "Now the time is ripe…"

Brother Blood smiled. "Excellent…"

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Some time later, back at the tower.

It was after lunch and three of the teens were on the couch in the main room. Terra and Aqualad were pounding on two Gamestation controllers while Speedy watched from one side of the couch. Speedy looked bored as Terra and Aqualad were engaged in an exiting battle in the virtual realm.

"You're pretty good," commented Aqualad.

"You have no idea," said Terra.

On the huge screen, tow virtual warriors fought in a brilliant display of speed, strength and fighting spirit. One character, a young swordswoman, wore a majestic armor reminiscent of old Greek goddesses. She looked to be in her twenties, long flowing red hair and brown eyes. She was armed with two short swords.

Her opponent was a tall, muscular barbarian. The man stood over six feet tall, had a full beard and hair that reached to his neck. He wore a myriad of animal skins and fur all over his body. For armor, he wore a simple-looking iron breastplate, a thick iron bracelet on each forearm, and iron laced boots. His one armament was a gigantic battle axe with a head as big as a dinner table.

The two faced each other as the stood on some kind floating arena in the middle of some lake. The arena was circular in nature and had ancient designs carved on to it and was very wide, enough to put a house over.

It was the barbarian who charged first, swinging down his mighty axe on the seemingly outmatched swordswoman. The swordswoman was, however, pretty quick on her quick on her feet and evaded the blow by quickly sidestepping out of the way. She then leapt into the air and slashed down with one of her swords at the barbarian.

The barbarian blocked the attack with one of his iron bracelets and forced the swordswoman back. The swordswoman slid back a few feet. She resumed her stance and readied herself. The barbarian lifted his axe once again and charged at her. He swung his entire body around along with the axe in a wide circle. The blade nearly beheaded the swordswoman but she ducked just in time.

She was about to attack but almost failed to notice the barbarians foot coming down on her. She rolled to the side to avoid it. The barbarians foot created a large crater on the ground showing just how much power it had. The swordswoman got up and readied herself once again.

She went on the offensive this time as she charged the barbarian head-long. The barbarian noticed and attempted to slice the swordswoman in half by bringing down his axe. The axe missed her by a hair's width hen became imbedded in the Continuing onwards, she slid in between the barbarian's legs and ended up behind him. From there she hopped up and swipe-kicked the barbarian on the side of his neck.

The barbarian stumbled sideways, away from his axe that remained firmly imbedded in the ground. He recovered and looked toward his opponent. She was charging at him again, twin swords swinging. The barbarian put up his dukes and managed to parry and block the oncoming attacks with his iron bracelets. After blocking an attack with one hand, the barbarian quickly threw a hand down to crush the swordswoman.

She reacted in time by crossing her blades above her head which met the barbarian's bracelet, stopping the hand from crushing her into the ground. The hand was heavy on her swords but somehow she managed to hold off and up his mighty hand. She summoned her strength into one powerful burst and threw the hand off of her blades. In that moment, she slipped from under the arm and hopped backwards out of the barbarian's reach.

The swordswoman made a daring attack by throwing one of her sword like a javelin towards the barbarian. The barbarian notices early and catches the sword in mid-flight with one of his hands. He held the sword like a twig and snapped it in two just as easily. The swordswoman was taken aback and readied her one and only weapon.

The barbarian grinned at her. He brought his two hands together into a ball and slammed it down into the arena. The impact sent a shockwave that racked the whole area, even causing large ripples in the water that surrounded the arena. The shockwave threw the swordswoman off her feet and on her back. She was in a vulnerable state right then.

The barbarian did not dare waste such an opportunity to strike. He jumped high into the air. He fell down on the swordswoman, elbow first. The swordswoman went wide-eyed and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being turned into a pancake. She got up and prepared herself. Similarly, the barbarian got up and looked like he was about to charge again. The swords woman noted how close she was to the edge of the arena. The swordswoman smirked. She mockingly cooed the barbarian to charge.

The barbarian charged, the swordswoman stood her ground. The barbarian neared her yet the swordswoman did not move. When the barbarian was about to tackle the swordswoman, she finally made her move. She quickly slipped to the side and fell on her knees. The barbarians meaty arms missed her. From her low position on the ground, she struck her sword against one of his feet. The blade broke as impacted the iron-laced boot.

Though the blade was broken, the objective was achieved. The barbarian stumbled forward uncontrollably. As expected, the barbarian stumbled right into the water. He created a pretty big splash as he involuntarily dived into the lake. It was obvious at that point that the battle was now over

The swordswoman stood victoriously as the word "winner" floated above her head in bright golden, three-dimensional, computer generated letters. Back in the real world Terra was copying her virtual character in her victory stance.

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed.

"Dude, that's five losses in a row," pointed out Speedy to Aqualad, "give up already."

Aqualad shrugged. "Yeah, you're right." He tossed aside the controller.

"Awww, giving up already?" inquired Terra.

"Yup."

"C'mon! best six out of thirteen?"

"I'm an Atlantean, not a shore crab. I know when I'm beaten."

"Wuss…"

At that moment, Bumble Bee came in through the door. The rest of the team looked towards the door. Aqualad, Speedy and Terra hopped over the couch so that they could face Bumble Bee.

"Welcome back," said Speedy, "what took you so long? I thought you guys were only going to the prison."

Bumble Bee nodded. "Yeah, but we stopped by a few places on the way back here."

Bumble Bee, along with Más and Menos, were gone for most of the morning right after breakfast. They went to the prison. They were going there out of a request from the warden as well as a little of their own interest. It was regarding Steamroller mostly.

Even before the villain escaped and caused the events of yesterday, he was a major nuisance within the prison itself. Bumble Bee, being a cybernetic engineer herself, devised a solution to the problem. The solution would guarantee that Steamroller would almost never be able to terrorize anyone ever again.

Before anyone starts to think about this seemingly cruel-sounding punishment, it should be explained that this punishment is by no means gruesome. Bumble Bee simply hacked into Steamroller's circuitry and activated the built-in limiter. She was one of the few people who knew that a limiter was built into Steamrollers armor. The others who knew were Brother Blood and whoever made the armor in the first place.

The armor that the villain wore was designed to enhance strength. But just incase the wearer decided to become a bit unruly, the built-in limiter would ensure that the armor would be in no means capable of doing any major damage. The limiter's job was to reduce the amount of power output from the suit. It would only provide enough power to the suit that would be the equivalent of normal humans. Just enough to survive with but not enough to cause damage to anything. All Bumble Bee had to do was to turn on the limiter and her job was done.

"Can I ask where?" asked Speedy.

"We dropped by the mall to pick up some stuff. By the way," she looked at Terra and Speedy, "I like what _you_ guys did to the place…"

Terra blushed some, "heh heh heh…my bad."

"Oh, c'mon Bee, that wasn't our fault…mostly," said Speedy.

"What 'stuff' did you get?" asked Aqualad.

"Well, you see--"

Bumble Bee was interrupted as a blur of red and white suddenly appeared out of nowhere and materialized into the form of Más and Menos carrying over a dozen shopping bags and shoe boxes. Everyone else was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the twins, nearly falling on their butts.

"Sra. Terra, mira todas las cosas que compramos para ti. Por favor échales un vistazo. ¡Sabemos que tú sólo los querrás!" blurted out the twins.

"How many time do I have to tell you guys never to do that!" said Speedy.

"¡Eso no es importante ahora mismo! ¡Trajimos a la Sra. Terra mucho de regalos que sólo adorará!"

The twins laid down all the shopping bags in front of the three teens near the couch. They were smiling excitedly the whole time.

"What is all that stuff anyway?"

"Let's just say that the twins got a little carried away with the credit card," replied Bumble Bee.

Speedy curiously ruffled through one of the bags and pulled out pink blouse with floral designs all over it. The three teens looked at it curiously. Speedy looked back to Bumble Bee.

"No offense, Bee, but don't you have a big enough wardrobe as it is?" said Speedy, "I would know, I've seen your closet."

"Don't worry about that Speedy," said Bumble Bee, "They're not for my closet, they're for Terra's."

Terra did a double-take on Bumble Bee. "What?"

"There all for you, girl. Consider it a housewarming gift…"

"For me?"

"The way I see it, if you're gonna be a part of this team, you're gonna need your own stuff so you don't have to keep wearing all my old spares like you are now, wouldn't you say?"

"Part of the team!" Terra was taken aback by that.

"Bumble Bee's right, you know," said Aqualad, "You've proven yourself to be a true heroine and a real team player. You've got the right stuff, Terra, whether that be natural or not, we believe that you'd make a valuable addition to this team. Gods know what this world needs is more heroes."

Terra smiled. "Thank you."

"I understand the whole 'part of the team' thing but isn't all this luggage a little excessive?" asked Speedy as he ruffled through more bags. He pulled out something that was small, satin, and had two cups. He turned red and quickly shoved the article back into the bag.

"Well, like I said," replied Bumble Bee, "the twins got a little carried away with the credit card."

The twins scratched the back of their heads as they apologized.

"Besides, you could never have too much clothing."

"Says you, Oprah…"

"Hey!"

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On some rooftop near the edge of Steel City.

Fallacy relaxed herself as she sat under the shadow of a smokestack. She was napping mostly, having nothing else better to do until she got a call from her boss. So she was on standby for the meantime simply waiting for something to happen. But in truth she didn't mind really.

It was rare for her to get occasions like this. As a hive student she was always busy. Her powers had many applications in training her fellow students. That Talent was not left unnoticed and was readily exploited by her schoolmasters. She didn't mind much all her 'extra-curricular duties' but that left her little time to relax.

Since the day the Hive Academy was destroyed, thanks to the Teen Titans, she found plenty of time to relax. However she did miss the thrill of the occupation so when she caught wind of Brother Bloods new scheme she was eager to join in the bandwagon. Blood told her that she was to conduct a very important mission and she readily accepted. Even so, she was thankful for these little periods of relaxation.

That relaxing atmosphere soon broke when a ringing communicator snapped her out of her trance. Fallacy grabbed the communicator from her belt and answered the caller. Predictably enough, it was Brother Blood. Fallacy knew what he was about to say, and even though her relaxing moment was over, she tingled with excitement.

"Fallacy," said Blood on the communicator.

"Yes, Headmaster?" replied Fallacy.

"The preparations have been made. Everything is ready for the girl's return to our grasp."

"Wonderful news, Headmaster. Does that mean the time has come to proceed with the mission?"

"Yes, the mission starts tonight. Professor Chang has sent some of his new creations to give you back up as well as provide the containment and transportation. They will rendezvous with you on that spot. After that, wait until night falls, when the best opportunity to strike presents itself. I know you're quite capable, my dear, so don't disappoint me."

"Have I ever, Headmaster?"

"No, but now would be the lousiest time to start."

"I will not disappoint you, Headmaster. Terra shall be yours once again by the end of this day."

"I'll hold you to that. I will await your report for later."

With that, Brother Blood signed out. Fallacy closed her communicator and put it back in her belt pocket. She stood up and looked towards the east. She was able to make out the silhouette of Titans Tower: East as the sun was rising over the bay. She laughed softly at the sight.

"Soon," she said, "very soon…"

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Much later that afternoon.

Bumble Bee was alone in the main room. Terra had gone to her room to organize all the stuff they got her from the mall. With all the stuff they bought her, that ought to take a long time. The boys went on their regular patrols of the city. Bumble Bee had other business to attend to at the moment except for a little call to make.

She stood in front of the computer screen, typing a command into the keyboard. She stepped back as she finished and waited for something to happen. A while later , Robin's image appeared in the center of the screen.

"Good afternoon, Bumble Bee," said Robin's image, "To what do I owe this call to?"

"Hey there, Rob," greeted Bumble Bee, "Just wanted to ask you some information, that's all."

"What kind of information?"

"I need a detailed file on a villain named Professor Chang."

"Chang? Why do you need his file? Is he in Steel City?"

"Yeah. We think he's involved in a major scheme to bring down this city."

"So that's where he disappeared to. When he went missing from our radar, we were worried he'd try something someplace else."

"We have some files on him here, but they don't give us much detail. I know you had a little personal business with him some months back, am I right?"

"Yeah but those were some bad times and I really rather want to forget about 'em. Anyways, Sure Bumble Bee, I'll send you all the info we have on Chang right now."

A message appeared on the screen. A file was being e-mailed towards the Titans East computer in real-time. It took less than a minute for the whole file to be downloaded. After Bumble Bee acknowledged that the file was received, Robin's face reappeared on the screen.

"Thanks, Rob," said Bumble Bee, "we really appreciate this, me and the team."

"No sweat. We're all fighting one big fight against the forces of evil, after all. If there's anything else you need, we're totally there to help out."

"Thanks Rob, but I think we can handle things here just fine."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Well actually…"

Bumble Bee cut herself short on her speech. She contemplated telling Robin about _her_. About Terra. He might be able to help out with her. He knew more about her than anybody else from the Titans East. Should she tell? Should she ask for help? Should Terra be—?

No. She told herself 'no'. She made a promise to Terra. This was Terra's decision and no one else's. She had no right to make that call. That was final. Besides, she knew that the original Titans were already in the middle of something big for them and didn't need the extra weight. For now, things will just flow along.

"Bumble Bee? What's wrong?"

Bumble Bee snapped out of her trance. "Huh? Oh nothing. Everything's just fine…"

Robin raised an eyebrow in doubt.

Bumble Bee, trying to evade, changed the subject. "Now I heard that you guys were in some kind of trouble for the past few days. Why don't you tell me about that and maybe we can help out. I mean you guys just gat back to Jump City from your trip right? What could be causing you trouble so early?"

Robin was taken aback by that inquiry. "Well…we, um…"

"Robin?"

"It's not really that we're in trouble over here…"

"Then what's wrong?"

"Well… it mostly has to do with Beast Boy and a recent discovery of his. It's something that caught us off-guard. It brought up some old wounds, ya' know?"

Now Bumble Bee was really worried. "What's troubling you then?"

"I rather not--"

"C'mon man, I'm here to help."

"…Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes."

"…It's Terra…"

Bumble Bee's eyes went wide. "What!"

"I was as surprised as you when I found out myself. I never thought it were possible too."

"But…how!"

"We don't know exactly how it happened. Her stone statue in the cave was there on minute then gone the next. I can't formulate any theories right now though, and I'm not sure I want to."

"How do you know for sure, that she's alive?"

"Because I saw her with my own eyes."

"What? Where?"

"Here in Jump City, where she is right now."

"Wait a minute, Terra is in Jump City right now!"

"Of course. Where else would she be?"

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	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: What I said the last time.

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Night time at Titans Tower: East.

Terra came out of the bathroom yawning like a moose after a full meal. She was dressed in a modest white shirt and shorts, just something to sleep in. It was getting late and she just finished up unpacking all the shopping bags she received from Bumble Bee and the twins. All the cloths were now neatly folded away in her closet. She didn't get a good look at them since she was in a hurry to just get them out of the way for the day. Now that all that was done, it was off to bed.

She walked down the hall a short distance to another door. The door led into her room. It was actually less than a few steps away, since her room was the closest thing to the girls' bathroom. She touched a pad on the side which was the electronic switch to open the door. It slid open and the light came on immediately.

She took a moment, standing in the doorway, to give the room a good look. This was the room she was given and has been using for the past few days since she came here to the tower. It wasn't that brightly a decorated room. In fact, it was barely decorated at all. There were no posters or hanging picture frames on the walls. There were no assorted knick-knacks that would usually be found in a girl's room.

Instead, she just got the essentials. There was a bed, soft and comfy, inviting when you're a sleepy. There was a drawer for, mostly empty and only used by her to keep some unmentionable garments. There was a closet for cloths to hang in and other stuff to be put into. There was a small desk for work. The entire space was lit by a solitary white florescent lamp that was attached to the ceiling.

It was a modest room, not much to say about it. But for Terra, it sufficed for now. During all her years simply wandering through the wilderness alone, she has come to treasure the comforts of one's own room that most people would just take for granted. So it may have been a little barren, but it was just fine.

Besides, if she decided to accept the Titans East's proposition that came along with all the luggage they gave to her as a gift, this room won't be so barren for much longer. Terra took comfort in that thought, it was nice to have friends. It was nice to be alive. She reminded herself that she would thank them again in the morning.

Terra pressed a switch on the wall which closed the door, then another switch to turn off the lights. She found her way to the bed, tucked herself in and left everything else to the bed bugs.

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Back at the main room.

"I really can't explain it myself, Bumble Bee," said Robin's image on the giant computer screen, "As much as I love to work on this case, I have absolutely no leads and no resources. Plus the Titans have encountered a whole myriad of more pressing issues when we got back."

"But I want to know," said Bumble Bee, "Do you guys know for sure that Terra is in Jump City right now?"

"Yes Bumble Bee, we are very sure."

"How so?"

"Starfire and Beast Boy have been keeping regular tabs on her. Though they're not doing it because I ordered them to do it. It's more out of their personal interest actually. Can't blame them though…"

"…You said she lost her memory?"

"Beast Boy told us about the first time he found her. He talked to her directly. He said that she didn't remember him, her powers, her being a Titan, and everything else for that matter. She's just an ordinary girl now."

"Where was the last place you saw her?"

"In a local high-school. Like I said, she's an ordinary girl living an ordinary girl's lifestyle. The people around her don't seem to recognize her as Terra of the Titans though. Probably because she is so unassuming now that she has lost her powers, people have nothing to relate her with the old Terra. Heck, last I heard, she wasn't even using the name "Terra" anymore."

"Who could have done this?"

"We don't know. We have no means of knowing who, how or why. Truth is, we're not even sure that this Terra really is Terra."

Bumble Bee contemplated more than ever if she should tell Robin that she was having the exact same problem. She was sure that there was no need to tell Robin's Titans about the appearance of Terra in Steel City, much less in Titans Tower: East. But there she was, taking in a torrent of unbelievable information. This changes things.

Should she reveal to Robin this Terra that the Titans East has found? She knew there are still truckloads of questions that have been unanswered still. Telling Robin could potentially break the case wide open. Could she reveal Terra? Should she?

"What's the matter, Bumble Bee?" inquired Robin, "You're quiet all of a sudden."

Bumble Bee snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, noting. Nothing at all, Rob…"

"By the way, why are you asking all this questions about Terra? Do you know something I need to know?"

A decision had to be made then and there. Bumble Bee needed to decide what to do. She had to decide whether to tell him; yes or no. And only after a few seconds, she has already made a decision.

"Bumble Bee?" asked Robin again.

"…No, it's nothing at all…"

"Are you sure?"

"Well, it's kinda personal really. It's just that Terra is a real big hero to me, that's all."

"C'mon, Bumble Bee, that's all?"

"You see Robin, I only heard tales of her through the Hive academy back before the Titans East was formed. I would hear her exploits with you guys, while she was a Titan. How she was such a great heroine and how she is always looking after the little guy, as Speedy puts it. But then I would stories about her and Slade and how she tried to destroy the Teen Titans. But then, those stories would end at the time she sacrificed herself for the city, for you guys…"

"…"

"Even through the stories of the Hive academy students, she still sounded so…innocent. She was so vulnerable, before and after Slade controlled her. But even for all her frailties, for all her weaknesses, in the end she had so much resolve in her that she was completely ready and willing to give up her life for the things she cared for…"

"…Truthfully, she would put most of us, even in the 'superhero business', to shame. So few of us can match Terra's resolve."

"Yes, Robin. And for that, she has my respect."

"I can understand you're feelings Bumble Bee. And I promise you that if we ever do unlock this mystery involving her sudden 'resurrection', you will be one of the first people to know about what we have found out."

"That's cool, Rob. Thanks."

"No problem. Anyways, it's getting late. You should go to bed."

"Sure thing, and thanks again for your time, Rob."

"You're welcome, Bumble Bee. Goodnight."

And with that, the two cut off transmission. Bumble Bee leaned her head back and let out a long, exasperating sigh. What a night this turned out to be. More questions that needed to be answered, just what they needed. She wondered how she might break this news to the rest of the team. More importantly, how to break it to a certain terrakinetic geomorph.

It was something she had to deal with…but not tonight. She turned off the main computer and marched out of the room. Soon the boys will be back from their patrols and they will also want to hit the hay as soon as they walk in the door. That was where she decided she was going at that moment.

As she walked toward the exit, she contemplated on her answer to Robin's inquiry. It was partially untrue, the fact being that she was asking about Terra because of their current situation. But everything said was the truth. And she considered that a good enough reason to leave the decision to reveal Terra to Terra herself.

Terra will reveal herself when she is ready and Bumble Bee was willing to wait, no matter how long that might take.

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A little later. Outside the tower, on the rocky base.

Fallacy stood, staring up the tower in awe. She giggled softly in a perverse sense of humor. She turned around and looked behind her. There were four mech-rangers standing ready, courtesy of Professor Chang. They were not only there for back up though as the strange coffin-like device held by on of the Mech-rangers would attest.

The coffin was not like the last one they used. The last one was designed for cryogenic hibernation. The one that they brought along was simply a container with no special properties. It would have been no different if they had brought an actual coffin. However, Fallacy wished it was so. It would have served as a fitting prelude for things to come.

Fallacy knew the plan but reviewed it in her head non the less. All she had to do was to draw Terra out. That wouldn't be a problem since her talents were very much suited for the task. Once the girl is out, the Mech-rangers were to take care of the capturing detail.

It was the best time to start as any. Everyone of the Titans East has just fallen asleep in their beds, she could feel it. Now was the time to strike.

"I hope you've had good dreams, Lady of the earth," she said into the empty air, "for tonight, all you shall see are nightmares…"

With that, her cat-like eyes started to glow.

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Somewhere…

Terra. 

A voice called her, roused her from her sleep.

Terra. 

Her blue eyes shot open, suddenly awakened by the strange voice that seemed to have came from her own head. The voice was as clear but at the same time vague, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The first thing she noticed: her bed was gone. Her room was gone. She was…somewhere else.

Only after a few moments of initial shock did she actually start to notice things. Her soft and comfy bed gave way to a hard concrete floor. She slowly got up from her lying position, the same position she went to sleep in. Once on her two feet again, she actually got a better view of where she might be.

There were mirrors. The whole room had walls made of mirror, kinda like a fun house. She saw her image in the mirrors, many times over. The images brought up another unusual thing, her clothes have changed. Terra looked at the mirrors then looked at herself to confirm. She was wearing her old uniform: Black shirt, work gloves, shorts, and boots.

"What…?" she asked into the empty air.

She looked around some more but found nothing of interest. As far as she was concerned, there were no visible entrances or exit to her little mirror room. She kept searching for any possible means of escape. After a few minutes of finding nothing, she was starting to get scared. But then, the voice came back, now muck clearer and much more recognizable.

"Terra!"

Terra swung around to the source of the voice. Her eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets. It was Beast Boy, standing behind the glass of one of the mirrors.

"Beast Boy?"

"C'mon Terra, let's get a move on!" the animorph said from behind the glass, "We're all waiting for you…"

"W—what are you…?"

Beast Boy's image drifted backwards into the mirror and disappeared completely. The glass mirror that possessed the image of the animorph, slowly disappeared out of existence. Terra watched this in both awe and fear. Soon the entire pane of glass was completely gone and all that was left was a doorway. A dorr way to wherever.

"Beast Boy, wait!" yelled Terra as she ran out the door.

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Back at Titans Tower: East.

Terra stumbles out of her room, still in her sleep cloths. He eyes were closed and the expression on her face indicated that she was nowhere near any definable means of consciousness. Yet she stood as if she was conscious, moving like she would during the day.

Her somnambulistic body turned around suddenly in one direction. Her hand reached out to an apparently nonexistent object in the distance of the hallway.

"Beast Boy, wait!" she mumbled

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"Beast Boy, wait!" she yelled

Out into he empty hallway that was also filled from wall to wall with mirrors, Beast Boy was nowhere to be seen or heard. She was starting to think she really was in the fun house. She tried her hardest to remember anything. But she couldn't remember a thing for some reason. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here or where she was previously.

But somehow that didn't matter to her. She ran toward the direction she thought Beast Boy went down on. Her repeated, reflected imaged shown on nearly every mirror as she passed by them. She kept running down the hall. The place was vaguely familiar to her, as if she walked though someplace very similar. As she pressed on, she came to a junction.

"Beast Boy?" she called out.

She didn't receive any answers immediately. She stood there dumbly for a few moments not really sure which route to take. A few moments later, another presence made itself known.

"Friend Terra!" another familiar voice called out.

Terra swiveled her head in the direction of the voice. Starfire was hovering in mid-air, smiling back at Terra's bewildered expression.

"Starfire?"

"Friend, why do you linger?" said Starfire, "Come, you must make haste!"

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Come along, friend Terra! We eagerly await your presence among us…"

Starfire's image disappeared in to the dark hallway. Terra called out but didn't receive a response in return. Things were not getting any clearer for her at that point. She decided to go with whatever gut instinct that came to her. And right then, all that she felt she should do was to follow the image of her old friends.

Terra summoned up the nerve and ran after Starfire's fleeting image. Though she had only left Terra's line of sight just a few seconds ago, the Tamaranean princess was nowhere to be seen. Terra continued to move down the hallway in a more cautious pace in search of any sign of either Beast Boy or Starfire.

She continued to walk down the seemingly endless hallway of mirrors. Every turn she took filled her with more doubt and fear. Not knowing what was really going on, Terra was starting to get lost. And getting lost was, above all else, her biggest fear. Just as she was about to give up and try to run back to where she came, another voice made it self known.

"Yo, Terra, over here!"

Terra looked into the distance of the hallway she was in, Cyborg stood in the middle of the hallway looking rather casual in his stance.

"Cyborg? Why are you---? What is going on here?"

"What, are you just gonna keep on standing there?" said Cyborg, "Move that skinny little butt of yours and let's go!"

Cyborg's image slowly disappeared into an adjacent wall. Terra called out again but Cyborg's image had already disappeared into the wall. Terra went to the specific spot where she thought Cyborg was standing on. She then inspected the adjacent wall where she thought she saw Cyborg disappear into. It all she saw was her reflection on one of the mirrors that lined the walls.

She stared into the mirror dumbly for a while. She was at a complete loss of words, as well as options. Thing never seemed to become clear and because of that, she could almost swear that she was dreaming. But everything seemed so real. At least her mind told her that it was real.

Suddenly, two panes of glass mirrors slid away from each other. Terra took a cautious step back. When the two panes were fully opened, they revealed a small square room, it's walls also lined with mirrors. Terra contemplated her options from there. Enter or go back. Not much of a choice when you think about it.

Terra took a bold step forward.

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In Aqualad's bedroom.

"Dah!"

The Atlantean woke up with a start. It wasn't like he woke up from a really bad nightmare, but instead it looked like he was woken up by an unexpected and sudden stimulus of some kind. He clutched his temples with one hand as if he felt a sting there a little while ago.

"What in Hades' name was--?"

A stinging sensation suddenly went through his head.

"Dah! Again? What is going on here?" he inquired into the empty air.

Aqualad quickly got out of bed and stood up in the darkness of his room. He stood still for a moment trying to get a fix on exactly what was bothering him. He felt this feeling on seldom occasions in the past, that much was familiar to him. Now he just needed to remember what that feeling stood for and what triggered it.

One last time, the stinging feeling shot through his mind. In that split second when he received that feeling, a brief image of Terra walking in a hallway of mirrors graced his vision. It was too fleeting for Aqualad to put into memory but that one instance led to a very important realization.

"Someone is using psychic powers," he said, "But who is it? And was that Terra I just saw?…Doesn't matter now. Someone's messing with us and it ain't right. I've gotta move!"

Aqualad quickly dashed to his door, opened it and exited out into the dimly lit hallway. The hallway was only lit by low-radiant night lights that gave the hallway a very eerie feeling. Aqualad looked around and didn't find anything unusual at first. The he remembered, Terra was in the instantaneous image of his. With that though he made a beeline towards Terra's room.

On the way there, he passed by the elevator. He did a double-take as he saw Terra standing in front of the elevator doors. He called out to her.

"Terra!"

She didn't respond. She proceeded to enter the elevator. Aqualad ran towards her. The doors were already half-way closed when he reached the elevator and he couldn't stop them. He caught a brief glimpse of Terra. Aqualad was surprised to see her looking like she was still asleep yet standing on her own will as it seemed. The doors completely closed.

Aqualad stepped back, looking confused. Terra wasn't sleep-walking wasn't she? What about that strange sensation he got in his head that indicated some kind of foul play involved? Aqualad looked up at the display above the elevator doors. It said that the elevator was going down.

"Dammit, what in Hades is going on here?" he asked to no-one in particular.

Knowing he had not time to waste waiting to use the elevator again, Aqualad mad his way to the nearby emergency stairwell.

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Outside, on the rocky crags.

"Ugh!"

Fallacy got a sudden jolt from some kind of interference. She knew that the only time this kind of feeling took place is when another with telepathic abilities managed to somehow pick up on her mental frequency. That can only mean that she was detected by another telepath. Considering who she was up against, there was no need to second guess who that might be.

"It would seem the Atlantean prince has noticed me," she said, "but it also seems that he comes alone and that he doesn't know my intentions."

She looked behind her to the four Mech-rangers. They looked like they were ready to take on anything that would interfere with the operation. They were all armed with razor-sharp broad swords and were programmed with the highest degree of combat tactics. They were a force to be reckoned with.

Fallacy knew of the incident when one of them was destroyed by all five of the Titans East. But she doubt a single Titan could handle four at the same time, especially when they had his friend as a hostage. Aqualad won't be a problem, she finally concluded.

"The Atlantean won't pose a threat," she said, "However, he still needs to be deterred. And I think I know how…heh heh heh."

Fallacy's eyes glowed brighter.

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Back in the hallway of mirrors.

Terra exited the into a large mirrored room with a very high ceiling. She looked around to observe the room more better. The walls again were lined with mirrors and she saw her image in them many times over. Only the ceiling and floor were bare of any reflective surfaces.

She started to walk forward. Every step she took eerily echoed throughout the entire space. She kept looking around, specifically searching for any sign of her old friends. She couldn't find any sign of them or anyone else for that matter. Her fear of being alone slowly crept back up her spine and she didn't like it. In a desperate action, she called out to anybody who may be there.

"Hello!" she cried out, "Anybody there?"

She received no response for quite a while. The fear almost took over her when she finally got a response.

"Over here, Terra!"

Terra swung her head to where the voice came from. It came from one far end of the hall she was in. There, she saw Robin and Raven.

"You're pretty slow, you know that?" said Raven. "You know I get cranky when you make me wait."

"Robin! Raven!" Terra cried out to them, "Why are you guys here? What's going on?"

"You don't belong here Terra," said Robin, "Come with us. It's with us you belong to. You are a Titan after all."

"But…why---?"

"We're waiting for you Terra…"

Robin and Raven's images slowly disappeared into the wall behind them. Terra watched as the two completely vanished into and behind the wall like a fading light. Terra tried to call out to them again as she ran after their fleeting forms.

"Guys, wait!" she yelled.

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"Guys, wait!" she mumbled.

Terra's sleep-walking form stumbled forward in the darkness of the entrance hall, the large hallway that was directly lead into by the main entrance into the tower. Terra was walking in a hurried pace yet zombie-like towards main door which lead to the outside.

When Terra was halfway through the hallway, Aqualad came barreling out of a nearby fire escape door. He makes it to the center of the hall a distance away from Terra who was almost at the door. Aqualad stared at the girl worriedly. He knew that there was no way Terra happened to be just sleep-walking all the way to the exit of the tower.

He knew once and for all that there was some foul play going on here. and he knew that if Terra made it out that door, things would only get nasty. He had to stop her from reaching the outside and whoever maybe waiting for her.

"Terra!" he called out to her.

Terra stopped and turned around to face Aqualad. Aqualad walked quickly up to Terra. He was surprised to see Terra's expression. Despite the fact that her eyes were still closed, it was as if that she was actually staring back at Aqualad.

"Terra, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

She didn't respond to him. Instead, her face slowly twisted into an expression of anger and hatred. All the while she continued to keep her eyes closed and her line of sight onto Aqualad. Aqualad stared at her worriedly. He was getting uneasy from her look.

"Terra, snap out of it! You're being mind-controlled somehow. You have to see past the illusion! C'mon say something!"

"…Slade…" said Terra.

"…What!"

"So, you want to try and stop me, Slade?" said Terra towards Aqualad.

"Terra, are talking to me or?…aw, crap."

Terra's fist flew up towards Aqualad's face.

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Terra's fist flew up towards Slade's face.

Slade blocked with both arms. He then quickly shoved Terra away from him. Terra stumbled backwards but soon recovered. She stood ready for anything Slade might throw her way. Slade looked her dead in the eye with apprehension.

"Where do you think you're going, apprentice?" he slurred.

"Shut up!" Terra shot back, "I'm not your apprentice."

"Don't lie to yourself, Terra. I am your true master, now and forever."

"You're no-one's master, Slade. You're nothing but a manipulative low-life!"

Terra charged Slade once again, putting her limited martial arts training to good use. She kicked high towards his face but missed as Slade bent backwards to avoid it. Terra spun around with the momentum from her leg and brought up her other leg. This time, Slade blocked with one of his wrist.

Terra backed off then came back with a fist to the chest. Slade grabbed her oncoming fist with right hand and pulled Terra in close. He then spun to her back and used his left hand to grab her shoulder. Once behind Terra he pulled on her arm using her shoulder as leverage. Terra was stuck at that position unable to move her arm.

"Forget it, apprentice," he said, "you cannot defeat me with those moves. I taught you everything you know, remember?"

"The only thing you ever taught me," said Terra, "was how to hate the people I cared for…"

Terra reached up with her free arm and grabbed Slade's head. Using her legs, she tripped him. With all that leveraged she threw him over her head, forcing him to let go of her arm in the process. Slade somehow landed on his.

"Oof!"

Terra stood ready, messaging her hurt shoulder back into shape. Slade turned around and faced the girl.

"…and for that," Terra continued, "I will never stop hating you."

"Regardless of what you may feel," said Slade, "I am still your master and because of that you will never surpass me."

"I had a true master once, and it was never you, Slade."

She took an unusual stance. Slade stood ready while eyeing Terra curiously. Terra stood in a ready position reminiscent of those kung-fu masters usually seen in the movies. Terra looked like she was about to do something though she stood still as a statue.

In a sudden burst of speed, Terra charged in on Slade. Se attacked with a low sweeping kick aimed at his feet. Slade hopped up and back to avoid being tripped. Terra came spinning around with a hook to Slade's chest. Slade blocked it successfully. Again he pushed Terra back.

However, Terra expected that a blocked with her arms to absorb most of the force of Slade's push. With both her arms, she forced apart Slade's arms as he tried to push her back. With his arms wide, Slade was vulnerable.

Terra back-flipped, sending her feet right up Slade's chin. The attack was powerful enough to knock the villain on his back, completely stunned. Terra landed perfectly on her two feet once again. That was a move she hadn't used in a long time. Seeing that Slade was stunned from her attack, she took this opportunity to rush to where she saw Robin and Raven disappear two.

As she approached, two large mirror panels slid away from each other and opened a path to what looked like the outside. In the distance, Terra saw the Teen Titans, Robin, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy all standing there as if they were really waiting for her to come.

"C'mon Terra," called out Robin, "we're here…"

Terra didn't hesitate anymore, swiftly making her way to the five teens that stood only a few meters from where she stood. Suddenly her vision turned blurry for a split second. She stopped in her tracks. Her vision blurred again, accompanied by a spontaneous discoloration of the things around her. A sudden jolt shot through her head then her vision goes completely black.

Moments later, Terra groggily opened her eyes and waited for the blur her vision to die out. As soon as her vision became sharp again, she went bug-eyed. Standing in the place of the Teen Titans were four tall, look-alike men in black. In the middle stood a young woman in a strangely designed, tight-fitting, leather suit.

"Good evening, O Lady of the earth," said Fallacy.

Fallacy tossed a small pellet at Terra's feet. It exploded into a strangely colored mist which Terra could not avoid. The mist completely envelops Terra. Terra dashed out of the mist after a moment, coughing and breathing heavily. But the girl doesn't stand for long. Terra uncontrollably stumbled around like a drunkard until finally, slowly collapsing on the rocky ground.

"Take her," said Fallacy.

Two mech-rangers immediately acted upon the order. One carried the heavy coffin and set it on the ground next to Terra's unconscious figure. It then opened the coffin which showed an indentation where a body can be place along with built in shackles to hold the said body in place. The second picked up Terra's body and placed her inside the coffin. After shackling her into place, they closed the coffin.

While all this was taking place, Aqualad groggily walked out the door and into the outdoors, clutching his chin in pain. He witnessed partially the capture of Terra. His reaction was predictable enough.

"Hey! who are you?" he yelled out, "What are you doing with Terra?"

Fallacy looked at him. She silently grumbled in annoyance.

"Eliminate him!" she ordered.

The two remaining mech-rangers unsheathed their sword and charged Aqualad head-long. One, that was ahead of the other, swung down on Aqualad who evaded by stepping to the side. Aqualad countered by swiftly kicking the mech-ranger in the face and away from him.

The second came at Aqualad swinging horizontally. Aqualad ducked to avoid being gutted alive. Aqualad came back up with a powerful shove that forced the mech-ranger to stumble backwards. The mech-ranger didn't fall and soon found its footing and stood straight again. Aqualad threw a fist into its face. The mech-ranger finally fell on its back.

The first mech-ranger, which has recovered, rushed at Aqualad from his side, thrusting its sword like a spear. Aqualad turned and saw the incoming attack just in time. He sucked in his stomach in and drew his midsection away from the blade just in time. With one hand, he grabbed the mech-ranger's wrists and pushed the sword away. With his other hand, he elbowed the mech-soldier right in the face, throwing it back.

From behind Aqualad, the second mech-ranger recovered and came swinging down at Aqualad. Aqualad noticed a little late and couldn't turn around. Instead, he dropped down on one knee just in time to avoid the blade splitting his head in two. Aqualad threw in hands up and managed to grab the mech-ranger's wrist, stopping the sword from going down any further. Then, using his Atlantean strength, Aqualad, threw the mech-ranger, by the wrist, towards a nearby rock.

The mech-ranger slammed hard into the rock, causing several deep cracks to form and chunks flying off. The mech-ranger soon recovered, however. Aqualad readied himself but was almost caught off-guard by the first mech-ranger as it swung away at him. Aqualad nearly lost his footing as he stumbled backwards to avoid being cut.

Meanwhile, as the fighting continued, Fallacy walked up to the coffin containing Terra's unconscious form. She leaned down to it and opened a hidden window near the head of the coffin and stared inside. Terra's face looked so peaceful as she slumbered. Fallacy smiled sinisterly. She stood back up and looked at the two mech-rangers that stood waiting for her orders.

"Take her to the boat and secure her there," she said to them.

The two mech-rangers picked up the coffin and scurried away to the ocean side. Fallacy watched them leave until they were gone from sight. She then turned her sight back at the fight between the two mech-rangers and Aqualad.

Aqualad knocked away one mech-ranger with a swift kick. Then he was nearly skewered by the other but managed to evade by jumping high into the air and far back. He landed some thirty-five or so feet from the two mech-rangers who stood ready with their swords. Aqualad clutched his left shoulder which had a not-so-deep cut.

The two mech-soldiers were tough and relentless. Aqualad knew this was a loosing battle. He had to think of something, and he had to be quick about it. He made a gamble, then dropped down to one knee and placed his palm on the ground at his feet. Using his hydrokinetic abilities, he searched, searched, searched, and finally found what he was looking for: an underground stream.

At that moment, the two mech-rangers raised their swords once again and charged towards Aqualad. Aqualad watched them coming but did not move from his place. Instead, he concentrated on his palm on th ground. The mech-rangers came closer, and he kept on concentrating.

Finally, when the two mech-rangers were about to bring their swords down on Aqualad, a very ,very high pressured torrent of water exploded out of the ground like a geyser. The extreme amount of pressure forced one of the mech-rangers to fall on its back and the other to launch into the air like a rocket.

The first flew high up into the air flailed around in the air helplessly unable to control its flight. It reached a peak height at about halfway up the Tower then it came down again, falling like a sack full of batteries. Upon impacting the ground, the mech-ranger exploded apart into thousands of pieces that littered the ground.

Meanwhile, the second mech-ranger was just getting up. It readied its sword and was about to strike again at Aqualad. But it never got a chance to do so after the first mech-ranger's sword, which was still in the air, cam down tip-first, skewering the second mech ranger on the ground straight through its chest. The mech-ranger didn't move for a while until finally it slumped to the ground, dead.

Aqualad watched a little longer to make sure that the last mech-ranger was really out of commission. Satisfied, he turned his sights behind him, where Fallacy stood looking back at him.

"Who are you!" he demanded.

Fallacy just smiled back at him. Her eyes glowed brightly. A second later, a huge flash of white blinded Aqualad. He closed his eyes while blocking it with an arm at the same time.

When he reopened his eyes, Aqualad saw nothing. Not 'nothing' as in not a thing worth giving interest, but 'nothing' as in completely nothingness. Aqualad found himself standing in the middle of an empty void. There was no ground, no sky, nothing at all. Yet he stood in place.

"What the?…" he muttered

"Just give up, Prince of Atlantis…"

Aqualad swung his head around in no particular direction. That voice came from absolutely nowhere. Aqualad recognized the voice as the one belonging to that girl who captured Terra. She was the one with psychic powers, he knew that now.

"Who are you?" Aqualad asked into the void, "What do you want with Terra?"

"Who I am is of no importance to you, Prince of Atlantis," the voice said, "And as for the girl, she will fulfill the role of which she was created for. You and your friends are of no consequence to us, anymore?"

"Us? Are you with Brother Blood and Professor Chang?"

"Once my masters are done with the Lady of the earth, you will not be able to stop our dominance of this world. The world shall fall to its knees and we shall mold it as we see fit. The girl is but a tempered piece of stone and will serve no other purpose when we are finished with her."

"A tempered piece of stone? What are you talking about?

"The truth is not for you to know, for soon enough you and your friend shall dealt with as well…"

With that last statement. The void around Aqualad disappeared. Aqualad soon found himself standing on the rocky grounds outside the tower once again. Everything was unchanged except for the fact that the girl in the leather suit was gone. Aqualad concluded that she has gotten away. Further more she has gotten away with Terra.

He stomped his foot on the ground in frustration. "Dammit!"

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Author's note: This chapter was finished a lot sooner than I thought. From the reviews I've been getting, I could see that some of you out there have already pretty much got a handle on my plot. But don't think you have this story figured out just yet. There will be plenty of surprises to come. In the meantime, Pls. R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own the Titans East…yeah right, and the prince of Denmark is a turkey! _Gubble gubble! _(no offense to the people of Denmark)

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Somewhere underground.

Terra groggily opened her eyes. She was almost immediately blinded by a number of high-intensity light bulbs just above her. It took a while before her eyes was used to the light. Her vision was still blurry though for the most part. It eventually dawned on her that she was seated in some kind of chair. She also noticed that only her spot was pretty much lit up while the rest of the immediate area was barely lit at all.

She tried to move, but soon found out she couldn't. as she tried to move her hands, she could feel that they were restricted by something cold and metallic. They were probably shackles of some kind, she thought. She tried to move her feet and found out that they were also bound by shackles. She noticed there was also a shackled holding down her waist. She was completely immobile.

Her head was the only thing she could move unrestricted. She tried to look around the room but her vision was still pretty hazy at best. Even with limited vision, she could make out that she was in some kind of computer room. There were computer terminals everywhere she looked on the walls.

Unusual as all that was, the one thing that caught her attention the most was the round pedestal a few feet in front of her. Terra particularly eyed the amber crystal that rested on top of the pedestal, clamped in place by a four pronged claw.

"Awake already?"

Terra quickly swung her head in the direction of the voice. From out of the shadows, Professor Chang walked towards Terra. Being a former member of the Teen Titans, Terra fully recognized the aged and wrinkled villain. As such, she greeted him with a look of despise.

"Professor Chang," she said, "what are you doing here, you washed-up old fart?"

"I'll try to ignore that comment," Chang shot back, "What you say means little to me, anyway."

"Whatever you're planning, let me tell you now that it's never gonna work."

"Oh? What makes you say that, my dear?"

"The Titans East will find you and shut down this little operation you've got going. It would be better if you just turn yourself in right now and maybe we might go easy on you!"

"_We?_" Chang seemed to receive some minor humor in that last remark. Terra looked up to him curiously. Chang had a sinister grin on his face from.

"You say _'we'_" continued Chang, "Does this mean you consider yourself to be one of them?"

"They are my friends, and if I could, I would stand with them against you."

"They are not your friends, my dear, no-one is."

"How the hell would you know you demented, old bastard!"

"I know plenty, my dear. But nothing you need to know. It wouldn't matter to you after we are able to use your powers, then you would be of no use to us. Or for anyone else for that matter."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh my, you have no idea, do you?"

"What?"

"Simply put, my dear…you're not real…"

Chang turned around and started to walk towards what would be the exit. Terra was bug-eyed, not really sure what to think about the last thing Chang said to her.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I will return shortly," said Chang, not really answering her, "At that time, we will begin the extraction procedure, the one purpose you've been created to do. I suggest you simply wait patiently."

"Hey! I said wait!"

Chang ignored her and left the room. Terra was left alone once again. Terra looked bewildered. Not Real? She wondered what that statement actually meant. She knew that Chang was famous for his over-the-top unusual use of science which made her very nervous. If Chang knew something she didn't, it was anything but good.

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Back at Titans Tower: East.

"We have to get her back!" exclaimed Speedy.

After the events of late last night, Aqualad roused the rest of the team from sleep and assembled them. Though they initially complained about the impromptu wake-up call, as soon as Aqualad told them the graveness of the situation, everyone went into high-gear almost immediately. They were all gathered in the main room discussing what actions they should take. Aqualad was currently missing since he went out to get something.

"¡Tiene razón!" concurred the twins, "¡Debemos salvar a nuestro amigo¡Ser ninguno contar el lo que esos maniáticos harán a ella!"

"Chill out guys," said Bumble Bee, "I know we need to do something but we need to find a place to start. We need to know where they could've taken her, first."

"Do we have any clues as to where that might be?" inquired Speedy.

"As soon as Aqualad comes back, we might have something."

"How's that?"

"If I can scan those broken-up androids that Aqualad managed to take out, I could trace back a transmission signal to its source. The source might very well be Chang or Blood's hideout."

"What do you think they'll do to her?"

"I…don't know. And I don't think I wanna know."

"I just can't imagine what they might do to Terra. She's been a part of their little scheme from the start without her knowing it."

"Sí, pensamos que está en el un camión digno el peligro" said the twins.

"Let's not loose faith just yet, guys," said Bumble Bee, "Terra is strong. I'm sure she'll be able to take on whatever Blood and Chang could dish out long enough for us to find her and save her."

"Yeah, you're right, Bee" said Speedy.

Just then, the doors opened up to reveal Aqualad carrying a rag doll body of a disabled mech-ranger on his shoulders. The sword was still stuck to its chest and sparks were flying out of it's now gaping wound.

"Yo, Bumble Bee," called out Aqualad, "where do you want 'im"

Bumble Bee pointed to a spot on the floor near the team. Aqualad walked towards the spot and set down the mech-ranger's motionless body on its back on the floor where Bumble Bee specified. Aqualad soon rejoined the team as Bumble Bee moved forward and started looking over the mech-ranger's body.

"Can you really trace this thing back to its source?" inquired Aqualad.

"Maybe," said Bumble Bee, "This thing has to have a transmitter somewhere in its head for it to receive orders. If I could hack into it, I could trace back it's last signal and find out where it came from."

"¿Podremos encontrar Terra después de eso?" asked the twins.

"Yeah, we might just find Terra with it. Now if I can only get into this thing's head…"

"Allow me," Speedy said as he stepped forward.

Speedy walked up to the android and gave a good look. Then he bent down, grabbed hold of the sword's handle, and furiously yanked the blade out of the body. Bumble Bee took a step back. Speedy held the sword at ready. Speedy held the broadsword high over his head and brought it down with a great amount of force right at the mech-ranger's neck.

The broadsword cut right through the neck of the mech-ranger. The head detached and rolled towards the other's feet and came to rest. Speedy tossed the broadsword aside and looked back at the team. They were all staring at him while nervously sweatdropping.

"Whaaaaat?" said Speedy, "We're in a hurry here, aren't we? Let's get to work, already."

"Okay," said Bumble Bee. She picked up the decapitated android's head. It still bared the same emotionless facial expression as before. Bumble Bee knew that the thing was an artificial soldier, but still, that kinda creeped her out.

Bumble Bee move to the main computer where she took some wires form the terminal and began connecting it to exposed wires in the open neck of the androids head. Meanwhile, Speedy approached Aqualad.

"By the way," started Speedy, "You said that there was this girl with silver hair and golden cat eyes. I wanna know more about her."

"Well…" said Aqualad, "I don't know much myself, but I'm pretty sure she was the one responsible for bringing Terra outside and nabbing her there. She has these weird psychic powers too."

"Wait a minute," interjected Bumble Bee, "You said this girl had long silver hair, golden cat eyes and mental powers?"

"Yeah."

"Hold on…"

Bumble Bee set down the head of the mech-ranger. She goes over to another keyboard and typed in a few commands. Soon enough, a profile image appeared on the screen. The picture on the side showed a full body picture of the girl with silver hair and golden cat eyes who Aqualad encountered some time ago.

"Yup, that's her," said Aqualad.

"Do you know her, Bee?" asked Speedy.

"Yeah, she's an old schoolmate from the Hive Academy," said Bumble Bee, "She calls herself 'Fallacy'. Her name is mostly based on her powers."

"Is that what she did to me and Terra?" asked Aqualad."

"Probably."

"So you're saying she can control people's minds, or something?"

"Kinda, but not in the sense where she completely takes over your free will. She feeds illusions into a person's mind, an alternate, false reality. When she has a hold of you with her powers, you see and feel an alternate reality while your body still interacts with the real world."

"Kinda like a virtual reality game, huh?" said Speedy.

"That's one way of seeing it. What you see isn't real, but you yourself and the world around you remains real."

"Kinda like when I thought I was in a void but I was still standing on solid ground," said Aqualad, "She probably did the same to Terra, giving her an illusion in her sleep that made her wanna go outside, as well as try and beat the crap out of me. She probably saw me as someone else. I think she called me 'Slade'…"

"Fallacy is even nastier when she attacks you in your sleep," said Bumble Bee, "By then, you have almost no chance of returning to reality, until she permits you to. She's very dangerous that way."

"If we encounter her again, what should we do to beat her?" inquired Speedy.

"Her powers do have their limits," said Bumble Bee, "She can only influence the mind of one person at a time. That means she is vulnerable if she is outnumbered. It would be best if we never take her on our own but always with a teammate."

"Got it."

Speedy turned his attention to decapitated android head at one end of the terminal, wires and cabled attached to its open neck.

"Are you trying to trace a signal with that thing already," asked Speedy, pointing to the mech-ranger's head.

"Yeah," replied Bumble Bee, "I found the transmitter and am trying to resend a false reply signal. When that happens, we'll find out the source of the signal, as well as Terra's location."

"How long will this take,"

"Give it a few minutes, guys."

Speedy couldn't say anything else after that, and neither could anyone else. Bumble Bee may have said that the trace would take a few minutes to complete but everyone in the room was wishing for that thing to hurry the hell up. Until then, nothing else could be done.

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Back at the underground hideout of Professor Chang.

Terra was still locked in the chair with no way to move. She tried using her powers every once in a while, but she couldn't. The most likely reason is that she couldn't find a close enough source of earth, or something in the room it self was blocking her powers.

Trapped and with nothing to do, she waited nervously for the return of Professor Chang. Above that, she waited for the coming of her comrades, The Titans East. She had faith in them that they would come and save her. Then maybe, they would beat down on Professor Chang together. All she could do was hope for the best.

Some minutes later, the one single door in the room opened. Terra immediately looked in that direction, half-expecting that a fellow Titan would enter. She was immediately disappointed when a white-suited henchman entered. The henchman was soon followed by four more henchmen in the same attire. Lastly, Professor Chang himself entered.

"Are you ready my dear?" asked the professor.

Terra didn't answer him. She wished that she had just enough snot to spit him in the face with but that turned out to be a disappointment as well.

Chang simply smiled sinisterly at her. "You should be glad. This is the fulfillment of your purpose, the only reason for you to exist."

"What the hell are you talking about you sinister old bastard?" Terra shot back.

"Now is not the best time for you to know." said Chang, turning away from her and moving to another computer terminal.

Around her Terra could see the henchmen taking up positions in different computer terminals across the room. Chang himself sat in a pretty high-tech looking terminal that looked more advanced than the others, with it's much bigger screen and bigger processors. As soon as he sat down, Chang inputted a myriad of commands unknown to Terra.

Terra's heart jumped when her chair started to suddenly move. The whole chair began to change its shape, all the while Terra was still shackled to it. The chair began to straighten, lags, armrests, and the body all folding down to create a completely flat surface. Soon Terra found herself lying down.

After that, the chair then started to rotate. It slowly tilted up, along with Terra still shackled the whole time. It only took a few seconds until the chair and Terra were in an upright position. Terra found herself looking at the round pedestal with the amber crystal on it directly.

"Now we begin," said Professor Chang.

Terra was barely aware of a tingling sensation she got from chair to her bare skin. It was increasing by the second until her entire body could feel it. Then suddenly and without any warning, Terra felt like a thousand volts of electricity were shooting right up her body.

"Aaaaaaaaagggghhhhhh!" she screamed in agony.

Sparks of amber electricity jumped out of Terra's body as she struggled against the shackles at her arms, legs, and waist. Her struggles were unfortunately in vain. She tried her best to tolerate the pain and keep conscious. All the while, Chang simply sat back and watched uncaringly.

On the round pedestal, the amber crystal began to glow brighter.

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Back at the tower.

"It's done!" Bumble Bee suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone in the room immediately turned their attention to Bumble Bee who was hunched over the computer terminal.

"What is?" asked Aqualad.

"The trace just brought back some results."

"¡Sobre el tiempo!" exclaimed the twins.

"So we know where Terra is?" asked Speedy

"That might be the case," said Bumble Bee, "I've pin-pointed the location on GPS. We leave immediately!"

"Let me guess, it's some abandoned observatory?"

"No. but something kinda like it…"

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Outside an abandoned planetarium.

On a nearby rooftop, Speedy stood perched on the edge overlooking the large dome-like structure. The place was decommissioned almost half-a-year ago after poor sales and not enough visits have made unsuccessful. Although rumor has it that it'll be bought out by Wayne Industries to create a new research center. But until then it was officially empty. Not anymore.

"I'm here at the site, Bee," said Speedy into his communicator.

"Any suspicious behavior?" asked Bumble Bee's digital image.

"None. You sure you have the right place?"

"C'mon, gimme a break here! I traced this location from a decapitated android in less than fifteen minutes."

"Still, I'm not seeing anything. I'm beginning to think that…wait!"

Speedy spotted something down below. Something that definitely qualified as suspicious. A white-suited henchman peeked outside a maintenance door apparently looking to see if anyone was around. Seemingly satisfied, he walked out carrying a plastic garbage can. The henchman walked to a nearby dumpster and dumped the can's contents into the dumpster. After he was done, the henchman walked back to the door, with the empty garbage can, entered the building, and promptly closed the door behind him.

"…I may just have something here," said Speedy.

Speedy pocketed away his communicator and shot a grappling arrow across the block and swung down to where the henchman dumped his load of garbage. He cautiously walked to the door. He tried the knob. Sure enough, it was locked. Not a problem considering her was Speedy.

Speedy took out his lock pick kit from his utility belt. He began work on the door. It only took him ten seconds to successfully pick the lock and break into the building. Before entering he took out his communicator once more to give Bumble Bee a message.

"Bee, do you read," he said into the communicator.

"What's up?" she inquired.

"This place is definitely suspicious. I know for sure now that there is a good chance that Chang is in here somewhere, and maybe Terra too. I've found a way in. It's in the west side of the building, employee's entrance."

"Got it. The team will be there in five. Wait for us."

"…no, I think I'll go on ahead of you guys."

"Huh? No, wait, Speedy! You don't know what's in there. It would be better if we stick together."

"Sorry, Bee. We've used up too much time as it is and I'm really worried about Terra right now. I'm going on ahead and scope the place out. Catch up when you can, alright. Later…"

Speedy turned off his communicator and pocketed it into his belt. He also took his bow from his shoulder and slung one of his arrows at ready. With a fair amount of caution in his step, Speedy entered into the building through the maintenance door.

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In the underground chamber.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhh!"

Terra kept screaming for what seemed like an agonizing eternity. The chair continued to deliver stream after stream of high voltages directly into her body. The pain only intensified as the minutes ticked by. All over the room, the henchmen were monitoring their respective computer terminals and paid little attention to Terra.

Professor Chang, stood by on the side watching the scene take place. His expression was emotionless, though he seemed like he was waiting for something. He turned to one of his henchman that was monitoring a set of numbers on his screen.

"What is the progress?" asked Chang.

"Just under ninety percent, sir," answered the henchman, "We should be done within the next few minutes."

"Excellent…"

Terra continued to scream in pain. "Nnnnnnnggggggaaaaaa!"

Professor Chang turned his attention to the amber crystal sitting on the round pedestal. It was glowing brighter than ever. Soon it would reach its optimum brightness which would indicate that it would be ready for use, and once that happens, they will be one step closer to world domination.

Chang smiled sinisterly at the thought. This would be his revenge to the world. The world laughed at him and called him a wash-out. Thanks to people like the Teen Titans he lost almost all his dignity and all his pride. But now he will show them all just what he could do. The GeoHammer was mostly his brainchild and once it's fully operational, the world will fear him for the genius that he was. It will be his creation that will bring the world to its knees.

"Sir, the process is complete!" called out the same henchman whom Chang talked to just a minute ago.

Chang looked towards the henchman then gave an order. "Shut it down!"

The henchman entered a command into his terminal. The electrical voltages that ran through Terra finally stopped. Terra slumped, gasping for breath. She thought for sure she was going to die just then. Strangely enough, in spite of the massive amounts of electricity that went through her body, she didn't feel burned.

Chang simply walked up to crystal on the pedestal. It had reached its peak brightness. It was no longer the color of amber but looked more like it was now the color of gold. It was brilliant in that it lit up the whole room in a golden haze.

"Yes, this is it…" said Chang

"What…did you…do to me?" Terra asked with what strength she had.

"Oh, you will know soon enough…"

He then turned to another henchman. "Bring in the sample…"

The henchman who took the order promptly left the room and came back a minute later bringing with him a cart. On top of the cart was a rock. It wasn't that big a rock, just about the size of a football. From a bystander's point of view it would look like just any ordinary old rock. That's because it _was_ just and ordinary old rock.

"Let's test it out, shall we," said Chang.

Chang moved to his personal computer terminal. He entered a few commands into it. The crystal glowed even brighter as he did this. Terra tiredly looked his way curiously, trying to figure out what he was up to. Eventually her glance met the rock they had brought in and she got her surprising answer.

The rock started to glow slightly in gold. Slowly but surely, the rock lifted off the cart that it was brought in. After it reached a certain height it began to spin in around, then flipped a couple of times. Terra was amazed at the sight, not because it was spectacular, but of the fact that _she_ wasn't the one doing it. Something was wrong to her, but to Chang, everything seemed just right.

"Yes…you see, it works!" Chang exclaimed, looking like Dr. Frankenstein watching his monster come alive. The process proved to be a complete success.

"What the hell is that thing?" asked Terra.

"Don't you see yet, my dear? The process you just went through copied your terrakinetic abilities into this artificial crystal we've made especially for you. Now that the crystal contains your wonderful powers it will become the final component to the GeoHammer."

"…you copied my powers? For a weapon?"

"What are you so surprised about? As I have said, you are not real. This is the only reason you exist. I went through quite some trouble to create you, my dear, for this one single purpose. But now that you've served this purpose, we have no need for you anymore."

"Sir, we have intruders," said one of the henchmen all of a sudden.

Chang knew that was coming sooner or later. It would seem that the Titans have found him. No matter. He was done with his work here and had no more reason to stay.

"I believe that is my cue to leave," he said, "Brief as your existence was, I hope you enjoyed it. Goodbye…"

With that, he started to walk out the door, soon every henchman in the room followed suite. Some of them took the time to carry the crystal away from the pedestal. Terra was being left alone once again.

"Hey! where are you going?" she yelled out, "Wait!"

But the all ignored her. Everyone has now left the room, with the crystal, and left Terra completely alone, still shackled to the chair. She got a sinking feeling that they will not be coming back.

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Somewhere else inside the planetarium.

Speedy wandered the hallways looking for anything suspicious. So far nothing had surfaced that would call for his attention. He has already searched the top floors for the most part and has found nothing. Therefore he concluded that if there is anything in this building, it would be somewhere below. He was now looking for a way down to the basement levels. Having no luck so far, he just kept wandering. He was pretty uncomfortable, considering how eerily quiet the place was.

He passed an old model of Jupiter, which he completely ignored. As soon as he was past the display, a white-suited henchman crept out from behind the display. Speedy had his back to the henchman and seemed to be oblivious. The henchman was armed with the usual taser rod which he aimed at Speedy's back.

But just as the henchman was about to shoot at Speedy, the red archer quickly spun around and unloaded a punching glove arrow right into the henchman's face. The henchman was caught totally off-guard and was promptly knocked out by the arrow. Speedy smiled triumphantly but it was a short-lived smile as a red bolt of electricity just missed him and caught him by surprise.

"Whoa!"

He quickly ducked behind a display to avoid being shocked by the blasts. He peeked out and saw half-a-dozen more men in white suits aiming taser rods his way. Some of them have already started blasting away at Speedy. Speedy was pinned.

"Well, isn't this convenient…" he said sarcastically.

"No, but this is!"

From above, Bumble Bee swooped down and blasted the lot of villains with her stingers. She managed to nail two but she soon found herself ducking for cover after she was almost overwhelmed with return fire. She ducked behind a nearby exhibit of mars. The henchmen continued blasting away at them both.

At that moment, the henchmen were oblivious to the shaking and rattling sprinkler pipes above their heads. The sprinklers bust and torrents of water snaked their way to each individual henchman. The water slapped the henchmen right in the face forcing them out of there hiding places. With that, Speedy and Bumble Bee took immediate action. They too jumped out of their hiding spots started firing on the hapless henchmen who were too distracted to react.

All the henchmen that were there were instantly knocked out by Bumble Bee's stingers or Speedy's glove arrows. Things soon calmed down a bit. Speedy and Bumble Bee stood beside each other and were soon joined by Aqualad and the twins a few moments later.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Speedy.

"Doesn't matter," said Aqualad, "Got a fix on Terra yet?"

"She's nowhere in the top floors so I'm guessing she's somewhere in the basement levels of this place."

"Figures."

Their brief meting became even more briefer as another wave of bright red electric blast came from one side of the room. A dozen more henchmen armed with taser rods came gushing out of a nearby door. The Titans immediately split up and hid behind separate covers. Speedy, Bumble Bee, and Menos ducked behind an old display of the Apollo spacecraft while Aqualad and Más hid behind a giant model of Saturn.

"¿Qué hacemos ahora?" cried out Más.

"¿Por qué estás preguntándome tú¡No sé!" said Menos.

"We're wasting too much time here!" exclaimed Speedy, "We have to find a way past those guys!"

"I'm with Speedy on this one," concurred Aqualad, "we have to save Terra, and fast!"

Speedy peeked out of his cover just long enough to asses the area. He seemed to have found something. The henchmen seemed to be all coming from single door. That was their ticket to Terra. But they still needed to slip past the defenses.

"I think that door might lead to the lower levels," said Speedy, "Bee, if you shrink your body, you might be able to fly past these guys and go save Terra."

"Yeah, I think you're right," she Agreed, "Give me cover."

"Alright."

Speedy slung an arrow onto his bow and shot it blindly out over the model of the Apollo spacecraft. In mid-air the arrow burst into a brilliant bright flash of red. The flare arrow momentarily blinded the henchmen that were shooting at the Titans giving Bumble Bee the perfect opportunity.

"Go, Bee, now!" exclaimed Speedy.

Bumble Bee gave him a quick nod. She used her powers to shrink herself down to the size of a grain of rice. She flew from behind their cover and low to the floor. She slipped past the wincing henchmen successfully and entered into the door from which the henchmen came out of.

Bumble Bee found herself navigating through dimly lit hallways and down a flight of stairs. She found herself in another hallway at the bottom of the stairs. After a short ways through this last hallway, she started hearing voices in the distance. Moreover it was voices that were coming towards her. She took quick action and hid above some electrical wiring on the ceiling.

Below her, a few more henchmen came out of the hallway and were running in the direction from which Bumble Bee came from, probably to join the fight upstairs with the rest of the Titans East. Bumble Bee waited until all of them had passed her. She then noticed a straggler, one henchman who seemed to have trouble arming his weapon lagged behind. Bumble Bee saw an opportunity.

The henchman struggled to operate his taser rod which didn't seem to want to cooperate. He was partially oblivious to a black and yellow insect that buzzed right up to his face. He didn't know how, but the small black and yellow insect managed to smack him right in the kisser and knock him on his back. The henchman dropped his weapon in the process.

When the henchman tried to get up again, his face promptly met the business end of one of Bumble Bee's stingers. The henchman sweated nervously at the sight of Bumble Bee towering over him, pinning him down with one foot and a stinger. Bumble Bee looked the henchman straight in the eye and asked a question.

"Where is Terra?"

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Back in the underground chamber.

Terra was still desperately trying to break free of her bonds. She struggled to no avail, the shackles were just too strong for her to break out of. She pondered what could Chang have meant when he said 'you're not real'. It's been messing with her since he said that. Just as she was about to give up, the door opened. From the door walked in a white-suited henchman, whom Terra glared at, followed by Bumble Bee, whom Terra was elated to see.

"Bumble Bee!" Terra exclaimed, "I'm so glad you guys found me already!"

"Diddo," said Bumble Bee.

Bumble Bee instructed the henchman, who Terra noticed was actually handcuffed behind the back, to wait on one corner of the room. Bumble Bee then proceeded to the chair, which was more like a bed that was standing up now, that Terra was bound to. She looked over it a bit and found some circuitry in the back side. She yanked a couple of wires and Terra was instantly released.

Terra rubbed her sore limbs. "I almost thought you guys wouldn't come…"

"We're the Titans," said Bumble Bee, "We never leave our own behind. C'mon, let's go, the other's are waiting for us."

"Wait."

Bumble Bee stopped in her tracks as she was walking out the door. She looked back at Terra who was staring down the handcuffed henchman. Terra moved towards him and suddenly grabbed him by the collar and shoved him angrily up against the wall.

"You have answers I need," said Terra, "What did Professor Chang mean?"

The henchman was sweating bullets under his suit. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you dare lie to me! I'll ask you again, what did Chang mean when he said what he said about me?"

"I don't know what he said about you."

"He told me I wasn't real!"

Bumble Bee went bug-eyed when she heard Terra say that. Her memory of the conversation she recently had with Robin over the computer suddenly came flooding back. Terra was in Jump City but at the same time stood there right in front of her. Now she was wondering if the Terra that was in front of her might have just stumbled onto a hidden truth in all this madness.

"Answer me!" Terra choked him more.

"Gahg!...ou're…a…lon…argh!

Terra loosened her grip. "What?"

"You're a clone!" exclaimed the henchman

Terra's eyes immediately widened to their biggest size. She was mentally floored by that statement. Bumble Bee was also in a similar predicament, her worst fear confirmed.

"Y—you're lying!" Terra exclaimed while choking him harder.

"No, it's true. The real Terra lost her powers in Jump City and we had to create you if we wanted to complete the master plan!"

"I don't believe you! You're lying! Tell me the truth, or I'll--"

"But it is true, my dear…"

The attention of all three people in the room immediately went to the large screen in Chang's personal computer terminal. Chang's image was shown in the large screen. Terra dropped the henchman she was interrogating and faced Chang directly.

"It is all true…" continued Professor Chang.

"What?…How am I?…It can't be! I have to be the real Terra! I remember everything, The Titans, Jump City, Slade, The desert, all those years of wandering! How can I remember them If I--?"

"Do you really want to know, my dear?" asked Chang, "If so then let me enlighten you…"

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_"The GeoHammer project was something I've come up with a long time ago. As you would have figured it out by now, Terra's power's were a very important key ingredient. When I found out that Terra had been somehow resurrected and wandering about in the city, you couldn't imagine how exited I was…"_

In a nice sunny day at Jump City, the world was at peace. Three girls in high-school uniforms, A redhead girl leading the group. Her two friend followed her as she entered a café. They sat sown at a nearby table while one of the girls, an African-American, went to the counter to place an order. Meanwhile, the redhead was chatting with her other friend.

The third friend was a skinny girl with long-flowing blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and the fairest of skin. Terra. She seemed to have a wonderful time as their black friend came in with their orders and they all chatted up a storm without a care in the world.

Outside on a nearby rooftop, a mech-ranger coldly watched the three girls, the blonde in particular.

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_"I confirmed her identity when I took a genetic ample of her. I knew if I confirmed that it was Terra herself, then and only then can my project become underway. However, I received instead a very nasty surprise…"_

Inside the girls' restroom, Terra was standing in front of a mirror brushing her long hair. As she did strands of her hair would fall into the sink. Her redhead friend came out of a nearby stool and called for her. Terra and her friend then soon left the room.

Once the girls were gone, a mech-ranger snuck into the girls' room via an open window. It looked down on the sink where Terra was brushing her hair. It picked up all the fallen strands of blonde hair it could. It then promptly left the girl's restroom the same way it came in.

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Professor Chang sat in the darkness in front of a computer terminal. The screen in front of him showed a three-dimensional image of a double-helix DNA strand. After typing a few commands into the computer, some results flashed into the screen. Professor Chang's jaw dropped. He seemed very disappointed.

"_It turned out that the girl _was_ Terra, the former Teen Titan. But there was a grave problem. The genetic sample showed that Terra's genome structure was tainted. Someone had altered her genome ever so slightly but enough so that it would cancel out her powers…"_

From the shadows behind Chang, an immense humanoid creature with a body of pure white and an indiscernible face walked out into the light of Chang's monitor. Chang turned to the monster with no emotion. The monster looked down on Chang as if waiting for something. Chang said something to the monster and it immediately left the room.

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_"I sent one of my late creations to confirm my fears that the girl had truly lost her powers, sort of like a little test for her…"_

The white monster wreaks havoc in downtown Jump City. The Teen Titans are there as always to save the day. Beast Boy charged in as a veloceraptor but was soon deterred by one of the white monster's counterattacks. Beast Boy sprawled on the ground. As soon as he got back up, a familiar figure of a blonde girl graces his sight.

The girl stood watching the scene in horror. After establishing that there was immediate danger at hand, the blonde girl runs away along with several other bystanders. The girl knew that running away was not an action a superhero would take, but then she also knew that she was no superhero.

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"_Not only have I confirmed that she was no longer the Terra that the Titans remember, but my continued monitoring of her have revealed that she herself no longer remembers her own past. Whoever tainted her genetic structure also removed her memory so that she was no longer who she was, and gave her a completely different memory…"_

A mech-ranger perched on a nearby rooftop looked down with electronic eyes zooming in on two teenagers eating at a local pizza place. One teen was unusual in that he had green skin and wore a black and purple jumpsuit. Beast Boy of the Teen Titans. The other was a normal looking blond girl in a high-school uniform. Terra.

Beast Boy seemed to have said some thing offensive causing the girl to stand up and leave. Somehow, Beast Boy managed to convince her to stay with her a little longer. Having seen enough the mech-ranger left the two teens to their business, never to bother them ever again.

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"_So…I resorted to an alternate plan…"_

Chang stood in the middle of a dimly lit room. Computer terminals littered the room and men in white suits were working feverously on something. Chang looked at the far wall where a tall glass cylinder stood. It was the only thing that was actually illuminating the room.

The cylinder was filled with some kind of liquid illuminated by built in lights giving it an eerie glow. Inside the cylinder, floating in the liquid was the naked from of familiar girl with long flowing blonde hair. Chang looked upon the sight in front of him and smiled sinisterly.

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Back at the present.

Terra stood with a flabbergasted look on her face. Bumble Bee was somewhat similar although she on the other hand looked more like she was actually expecting something like this. She looked towards Terra with a lot of worry.

Chang continued on his explanation. "I used the genetic material I collected to create a pure clone, one that would have the original's powers intact. The result was you, my dear. You remember all those things from Terra's past because your genome is an exact replica of hers only pure and untainted. You believe that you have lived a lifetime but in truth you are barely under a month old."

"No…impossible!…" said Terra.

"You never actually suppose to wake up. We created you so that you could become part of our weapon and nothing more. It was unfortunate that you somehow ended up in the hands of the Titans East. If they hadn't found you, you might have not suffered like this."

"Stop! It's a lie!"

"No, my dear, it is the truth. And unfortunately for you, you will not live long enough past this hour to regret your mistake for ever thinking you were anything else but a tool…"

Professor Chang's image disappeared from the computer screen and was immediately replaced by something that caused the two Titans, and even the handcuffed henchman, a lot of distress. The screen read: 'SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED'. A timer below it started to countdown.

_12:00…11:59…11:58…11:57…11:56…_

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Author's note: I would like to extend an advanced apology to all who are reading this. I will be leaving town for the better part of the next five days on official school business. During that time, I will be nowhere near a computer or an Internet connection. So you can expect a slightly longer delay with regards to my next update. Again I am sorry. But I will guarantee plenty of action in the next update. In the meantime, please R&R!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own the Titans East, 'nuff said!

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In the planetarium's display room.

A dozen or so henchmen were continuously firing upon the Titans East with taser rods. The Titans did their best not to get hit by oncoming fire by hiding behind some of the remaining displays in the vast room. At the moment Speedy was the only one who was actually able to counter the attacks of the henchmen being he's the only one with ranged attacks available to him. Aqualad was unable to locate a sufficient source of water and the twins were separated.

Speedy momentarily popped-out of his cover and unleashed three punching glove arrows. Two managed to knock out two henchmen but the last one was shot in mid-air by a taser rod. Speedy quickly ducked back under the display he was taking cover. Menos was with Speedy behind the cover of a display of the Apollo Spacecraft. The speedster had his hands on top of his head for cover.

"Esto no parece muy bueno," said Menos.

"Whatever you said," responded Speedy, "I think I can agree."

On the other side of the room, Aqualad and Más were hiding behind a large replica of the planet Saturn. Their situation was no better then their comrade's. From what his hydrokinetic powers could tell him, he had already used up all the available water in the area. He needed to find another way to fight back.

Aqualad spotted an opportunity. He noted that the metal stand that held the Saturn display he was hiding behind was rusted. He thought of a quick plan and immediately put it into action. He balled his hand into a fist and struck at the rusted metal stand. It immediately fell apart in rusted pieces. The whole display teetered over.

"Yeah," he said, "this'll work!"

Aqualad acted accordingly and pushed the huge planet opposite his direction. The planet, rings and all, rolled off of onto the floor, rings breaking off as they hit the floor, and started heading towards where the white-suited henchmen were like a giant bowling ball.

White-suited henchmen from all-over the place saw the incoming planet and were immediately alerted to the fact that they might turn into pancakes if they didn't move. Henchmen scrambled every which way to avoid being crushed by the massive replica of the planet as it plowed its way through several smaller displays. Finally it came to rest on the far wall, but not after leaving behind a wake of crushed debris.

The henchmen were fairly thankful that none of them were crushed by the planetary replica. Their very brief moment of relief however is immediately broken when the Titans took this small advantage and proceeded to kick butt.

Speedy jumped out of his hiding spot and unleashed a barrage of punching glove arrows on some henchmen that have left themselves exposed. Three shots knocked down three men in white suits. Menos, who was hiding with Speedy just a moment ago, made a dash to his brother . Más similarly went out to reunite with Menos.

A still standing henchman tried to stop the twin speedsters in their attempt to reunite by firing on them with his taser rod. But he was too late. Upon pulling the trigger on his weapon the twins have already come into contact with each other through their hands and have already dashed off. The henchman's shot hit nothing but bare floor. Más and Menos dashed in a blur of red and white towards the same henchman and knocked him down with speed enhanced strength.

"¡Ole!" they exclaimed.

Aqualad in the meantime was rushing towards another nearby group of henchmen. Upon reaching them, Aqualad swiped all three of them right in their faces with some well placed kicks. They all fell a distance to the floor clutching their jaws in agony.

On another side of the room, Speedy squared off with a henchman, using his bow sort of like a staff and the henchman doing the same with his taser rod. The henchman swung from above to try and knock Speedy on the head. Speedy quickly block by holding his bow horizontally above his head, stopping the rod from coming down on him.

Speedy countered by swing a leg up high and nailing the henchman in the stomach, forcing him backwards. Speedy delivered a final blow by swinging his bow like a bat upside the henchman's chin, knocking the poor sap high up into the air, only to come back down again where he sprawled on the floor. Speedy held his bow in a normal position again and loaded an arrow on to it.

He faced off with another henchman that was about to aim is taser rod at Speedy. They both raised their weapons at the same time. Neither of them fired immediately turning it into a stand-off. They both stayed like this for about a minute.

Suddenly, something caught the attention of everyone in the room. A loud siren accompanied by bright flashing, red lights filed the room. The Titans and the henchmen looked up to the ceiling where the noise and the lights were coming from. The Titans didn't know what to make of it but all the henchmen knew what to do.

All the henchmen suddenly dropped their efforts in combating the Titans and started to run/stagger towards a number of different exits. Those that lied on the floor, knocked-out, were pulled and carried away by their fleeing comrades. The last henchman was the one who was having a standoff with Speedy. Eventually, he too evacuated, not really caring if Speedy would do something to him as he fled.

Speedy just stood there, dumbfounded. The other Titans gathered around him and they all stared at each other questioningly.

"You think they know something that we don't?" inquired Speedy.

"One thing I've learned," said Aqualad, "red lights and sirens never mean a good thing."

"We'd better get out of here."

"Espera," said the twins, "todavía tenemos que tener noticias de Terra y Bumble Bee,"

"Yeah, where are those two?" asked Aqualad.

"You think we should go look for them?" suggested Speedy.

"No need!"

Bumble Bee's voice came out of nowhere as it seemed. The boys looked toward the source of the voice. Bumble Bee ran out while grabbing the collar of an apparently handcuffed henchman. Terra also appeared though lagging behind considerably. The two girls rejoined the boys in order to relay to them an important announcement.

"Guys," Bumble Bee started, "Chang just set off a self destruct sequence. We got about under ten minutes left before this whole place comes down on us."

"What!" exclaimed the boys.

"We need to get the heck out of the place, and I mean now!"

"I know where the main entrance is," said Speedy, "It's the quickest way out of here."

"What about him?" inquired Aqualad, pointing to the handcuffed henchman Bumble Bee dragged by the collar.

"Oh, him?" said Bumble Bee, "He'll be answering some questions once we get him down to police headquarters."

"Alright let's get out of here. I'll take him for ya'"

Aqualad took the henchman out of Bumble Bee's hands and dragged him along as Speedy led the way to the main entrance which would become their main exit. As they all started to rush out, Bumble Bee stalled as she noticed Terra was lagging. She was more than lagging actually. Terra was in a world of her own, standing there with her head turned down.

Bumble Bee had a saddened expression on her face. She knew what was eating at Terra but she couldn't do anything about it, nothing at all could she have said to comfort her. After all, it's not everyday you learn you're a clone and that all your memories are not even your own.

"…Terra," called out Bumble Bee.

Terra snapped out of it for a while. "Huh?"

"This place is gonna blow. We have to leave."

"…Um…sure…"

Terra's answer had absolutely no spirit in it whatsoever. Bumble Bee was increasingly getting worried about Terra as time went on. But that was not their main concern at the moment. Bumble Bee held onto Terra's hand.

"Don't worry, it's gonna be okay…" reassured Bumble Bee.

Terra didn't answer back. Bumble Bee pulled Terra along as they made their way to the exit.

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Seconds later.

The girls soon caught up with the others and they were all on their way to the main entrance of the planetarium. They went through several hallways and doorways before finally reaching the main entrance hall. The entrance hall was just this vast open space with a replica of the Hubble Space Telescope on top of a cylindrical marble stand in the center. On the far end were the wide glass doors that lead to the front lawn.

"Only a few more feet," said Speedy, "and we've got plenty of time to spare!"

"Somehow," said Aqualad, "I think this is just way too easy…"

The Titans spontaneously stopped cold in their dash to the exit. Three mech-rangers suddenly dropped down from the ceiling and stood between the Titans and the door. The three mech-rangers simultaneously reached to their sheaths and drew out their broadswords then held the blades at ready.

Speedy looked at Aqualad with a very annoyed look. "You just had to jinx the moment, didn't you?"

The three mech-rangers charged at the Titans. Aqualad pushed aside the handcuffed henchmen he was holding onto. The henchman stumbled and came to rest on the far wall. The three mech-rangers came in with broadswords swinging wildly.

One mech ranger swung at Speedy and the twins who were standing close together. The blade swung downwards and hit the floor as the three Titans jumped in opposite directions to avoid being slashed. The mech-ranger quickly recovered its stance and went for Speedy again. Speedy quickly took out his boy and held it like a staff. Speedy managed to block the downswing of the sword, millimeters from his face.

"¡Hey el usted tornillos-por-cerebros!" came Más and Menos

The twin speedsters, standing on each other's shoulder, came to Speedy's aid by dashing in hyper speed and knocking the mech-ranger to the side. The mech-ranger slid a few feet and stopped when he hit the large cylindrical stand that held the aging display of the Hubble Space Telescope in the center of the hall. Más and Menos dashed in again in a blur of red and white. The mech-ranger immediately sensed the incoming danger and quickly slashed sideways.

Más and Menos narrowly avoided being slashed by skidding to a halt just out of the blade's reach. However in their impromptu stoppage the lost their balance and fell on their behinds, separated. They were too vulnerable at that point, The mech-ranger took immediate advantage of this by slashing down at them. The mech-ranger was halted in his offensive as an explosive arrow impacted its chest and forced it back onto the cylindrical stand in the center of the room.

Speedy was up and about. His arrow had provided a means for the twins to recover. Speedy quickly slung another arrow onto his bow and aimed, not wanting to give the mech-ranger any breathing room to recover its stance. Speedy fire, but the mech-ranger already saw it coming. It ducked just in time to let the arrow fly over its head, over the marble stand, and hit a supporting pipe of the display.

The replica of the Space Telescope toppled forward and sandwiched the mech-ranger between itself and the marble stand. This caused Speedy to loose sight of his enemy. The mech-ranger used its awesome mechanical strength to propel the fallen replica of the Space Telescope forward. The flying replica nearly plowed over Speedy had it not been for his quick reaction to avoid the replica by jumping to the side, avoiding serious injury.

Speedy quickly recovered but then so did the mech-ranger he was combating. The mech-ranger charged at Speedy with amazing speed and slashed at the teen again. Speedy avoided being slashed by raising his bow to block the blade. Their battled continued on.

On another side of the hall.

Aqualad was having his fair share of troubles. A mech-ranger managed to segregate the Atlantean prince from the rest of the team and was now taking him on alone. Aqualad found himself at a disadvantage, unable to match the mech-ranger's speedy and strength. Aqualad was just evading as much as he can while he pondered a way to somehow counter the mech-ranger's assault.

The mech-ranger swung missed constantly as Aqualad was quite nimble in his moves. Every once and a while Aqualad would somehow get a jab, or a hook, or a kick in the fray but theses were easily countered by the mech-ranger he was fighting. The mech-ranger swung wide horizontally. Aqualad was almost split at the waist but was able to jump backwards a considerable distance away from the mech-ranger.

Aqualad landed on his knee and slid to a halt. From this position he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Looking to his side, he found an old fire extinguisher hung on the wall. It wasn't red like the usual kind one would see in modern times but it was one of those old ones in a plain aluminum tank which gleamed silver. Another thing about these old extinguishers, they were water-based and not foam-based. Upon seeing it, Aqualad smiled ever so slightly.

"…This could work," he said.

The mech-ranger charged at Aqualad again, broadsword at ready. Aqualad used his hydrokinetic powers and reached out to the fire extinguisher. The large aluminum tank filled with pressurized water shook on its hinges before it broke off and floated in the air. Aqualad had full control of the extinguisher using the water from within.

The extinguisher shot like a rocket towards the mech-ranger, hitting it in the face and halting its charge. The fire extinguisher came around again and smacked the unfortunate android in the mid-section. This impact caused the mech-ranger to slide backwards. The mech-ranger soon recovered and found the fire extinguisher shooting towards its face. The mech-ranger blacked with its broadsword.

Though the mech-ranger managed to block that attack it was soon blindsided by a second fire extinguisher that Aqualad apparently found. The mech ranger stumbled and nearly fell on its backside but managed to keep its balance somehow. Aqualad stood ready with both fire extinguishers in the air. The mech-ranger regained its stance, then charged at Aqualad.

Meanwhile, on another side of the hall.

Bumble Bee and Terra were facing up against the third mech-ranger. The mech-ranger ferociously assaulted them with slash after slash from its large broadsword. All the girls could do was to evade each attack although Bumble Bee had been able to parry a few attacks while using her twin stingers sort of like daggers. She couldn't get a shot in however since the mech-ranger was moving too much.

The mech-ranger swung at Terra who jumped backwards to avoid being slashed. Bumble Bee took this opportunity to attack and flew at the mech-ranger while delivering a powerful kick to its face. The mech-ranger slid a distance away but was not knocked down and it soon regained its stance. Bumble Bee, not giving it a moment to attack again, unleashed a barrage of blasts from her twin stingers.

The mech-ranger received quite a few hits from Bumble Bee's stingers but all in all didn't receive that much damaged. It did however find it very hard to attack the two girls again since the barrage of electrical blasts kept it at bay. It switched strategies. The mech-ranger held its broadsword sideways and, in true Star Wars fashion, deflected the blasts from Bumble Bee's stingers.

"Argh!"

One of the deflected blasts found its way back to Bumble Bee's shoulder. The deflected blast shocked and burned Bumble Bee's shoulder causing her to drop to her knees. It that moment of vulnerability, the mech-ranger charged at Bumble Bee again, broadsword swinging. Terra noticed Bumble Bee's grave situation and acted accordingly

"Bee!" exclaimed Terra, "Watch out!"

Terra rushed towards Bumble Bee and tackled the kneeling Titan in order to shove her out of the way just as the blade fell upon both of them. The mech-ranger's broadsword missed the two girls and drove deep into the marble floor instead. The two girls sprawled on the ground just a few feet away from the mech-ranger's feet.

The mech-ranger pulled its broadsword up from the floor and charged at the two girls that were on the floor. Terra reacted quickly enough by pushing Bumble Bee off in one direction and at the same time pushing herself off in the opposite direction. The mech-ranger's blade hit the floor between the girls.

Bumble Bee immediately regained her stance somehow and flew away. Terra on the other hand found less energy to pick herself up with.

The mech-ranger picked Terra as its target. It pulled up it sword from the ground and moved towards Terra's grounded figure. The mech-ranger towered over Terra and held its broadsword in a way so that the tip of the blade was pointing down perpendicular to the floor. The mech-ranger aimed the tip of the sword at Terra's temple. She couldn't find the energy to move out of the way.

Terra's skull was almost skewered had it not been for Bumble Bee who came to the rescue. Bumble Bee zoomed in and parried the mech-ranger's blade using her stingers as daggers. The broadsword of the mech-ranger ended up piercing the floor inches to the side of Terra's head. Bumble Bee pushed off the mech-ranger away from them both.

The mech-ranger slid to a halt and soon regained its composure. Bumble Bee tried to do the same but the burn on her shoulder acted up and caused her to grasp it and fall to the ground. Terra got up and tried to comfort the Bumble Bee. At the same time the mech-ranger started its next charge. Terra looked up at it and narrowed her eyes in anger.

Terra got up then stared the charging mech-ranger right in the eye. Terra could feel her powers rushing through he veins once again and she also decided it was high-time the mech-ranger got a taste of it. Just as the mech-ranger was only a few feet from the girls, Terra raised a golden glowing hand.

The mech-ranger was caught of guard when the marble floor at its feet suddenly buckled and catapulted it far back. The mech-ranger fell on its back and dropped its broadsword. It sat up to see Terra who was raising her hand up a little higher. Soon, the mech-ranger's view was obscured by a large slab of the marble floor raising up off the floor.

Terra raised the marble slab and flipped it over so that the flat marble tiles were facing down. More specifically, down on the mech-ranger who had yet to recover. Terra never gave it that chance as she brought her hand down which effectively slammed down the huge slab of concrete down on top of the mech-ranger, crushing it completely. Terra let her arm fall and she panted heavily.

Back on Aqualad's side.

The mech-ranger Aqualad was facing did a pretty fine job of parrying and blocking while the two fire extinguishers constantly threw themselves at the mech-ranger. Every so often , the mech-ranger would somehow get close enough to Aqualad to make a strike. Aqualad would be able to dodge for the meantime but he knew that he will soon loose this battle if he didn't think of something quick.

At one point, the mech-ranger got within striking distance again. The mech-ranger held its broadsword like a spear parallel to the ground in an attempt to thrust and stab Aqualad. Aqualad saw an opportunity. With proper timing, Aqualad summoned one of the fire extinguishers to go directly in front of the thrusting blade. The blade skewered almost all the way through the extinguisher and missed Aqualad by inches.

Aqualad mentally whisked the fire extinguisher away, carrying the broadsword with it leaving the mech-ranger short a weapon. In this defenseless state, the mech-ranger was again caught off-guard when Aqualad delivered a strong kick to the chest, which drove the mech-ranger a few feet back. The mech-ranger soon regained its stance but it was to no avail without its weapon.

Aqualad went on one last offensive. He summoned the fire extinguisher with the broadsword still buried in it. He twirled his hand around in the air. The fire extinguisher with the sword embedded in it started to spin, with the blade outwards. It gained speed in its spin turning it into a makeshift buzz saw. Aqualad threw his hand forward and the buzz saw fire extinguisher shot towards the hapless mech ranger. Upon contact, the spinning blade created a huge gash in the mech-ranger's chest.

Aqualad knew it was time for the finishing blow. He summoned both fire extinguishers to his side once again. Using his hydrokinetic powers, he forced both of the extinguishers to burst. The pressurized water from inside snaked around in the air until the water formed a large ball over Aqualad's head. The mech-ranger at the other end wasn't doing to well as the gash in its chest was causing major problems.

"This'll cool you off," said Aqualad, "once and for all!"

Aqualad threw a hand forward. A whip of water snaked from the ball and towards the mech-ranger. Aqualad wasn't just whipping the mech-ranger with water but was also making the water seep into the gaping wound in the android's chest.

As the water seeped in it caused internal short-circuiting on a massive scale. Internal computers were consecutively shorting out as the torrent of water invaded the mech-ranger's systems. Aqualad ceased the water and simply stood back and watch. The mech-ranger started to release steam from its extremities and it convulsed erratically from where it stood. Soon, the mech-ranger simply dropped dead.

Back on Speedy and the twin's side.

Speedy was squaring off again with the mech-ranger, using his bow as a sort of staff to block the mech-ranger's broadsword from reaching his face. For the most part of this fight, it was Speedy and the mech-ranger mostly squaring it off in close range combat. The twins would often attack from the side forcing the mech-ranger away and off of Speedy, allowing him a shot. But the mech-ranger's speed would always overcome them in the end.

Speedy knew they needed a knew strategy. It was then that he remembered that he had brought along a set of specially designed arrows for such a situation like this. He knew that if he could just get a clean shot, he could finish this battle. He decided to go for it. Utilizing a sudden burst of strength he pushed off the mech-ranger. Then he quickly sweep-kicked the mech-ranger while it was off-guard and made it drop to the floor as well as drop its sword.

"Guys!" he called out, "now!"

Más and Menos came out of nowhere it seemed. They stood on top of each other's shoulder just like usual. Más on the top grabbed hold of the fallen mech-ranger's feet. Menos on the bottom started to beat feet as soon as his brother got a firm grip. Using their super speed, the twins spun the mech-ranger around in complete circles several times before catapulting the android in a specific direction.

The mech-ranger shot straight into the marble podium that once stood the display of the Space Telescope. The impact was strong enough that it caused cracks to form in the tiles and pieces of marble to fall down. The mech-ranger was about to get up but Speedy and the twins wouldn't give it the opportunity. Speedy quickly threw a long piece of grappling cord he kept in his utility belt to the twins.

"Tie him up!" he said.

The twins nodded and soon went to work. The mech-ranger was now standing again but was unable to react quickly enough as the twin speedsters of the Titans East ran circles around it and the marble podium behind it tying it up in a long and strong grappling cord. Soon the mech ranger was tied up tight and couldn't move a muscle.

The twins retreated to Speedy's side as Speedy watched the mech-ranger as it struggled in its binds. Speedy knew the cord won't last too long so he acted quickly. He grabbed an arrow from his backpack and slung it onto his bow. He aimed directly at the mech-ranger's chest where he suspected the main power unit would be. Once satisfied with his aim, Speedy let the arrow fly.

In mid-air, the arrow's tip turned into a special looking drill bit. The drill tipped arrow, upon impact, not only flew right into the mech-ranger's chest, but also flew straight through its chest, through the marble podium, and out the other end. The arrow had effectively created a short tunnel going through the android and the marble stand. For the mech-ranger this meant catastrophe as the arrow had done serious damage to its internal systems. The mech-ranger eventually slumped dead.

Speedy stood victoriously. "Heh, and Bumble Bee tells me that a drill bit arrow was being self-indulgent…"

Speedy looked around and concluded that everyone was alright. Moreover, every one of the three mech-rangers seemed to have been defeated. He looked to the side and found their handcuffed henchman cowering in the corner as he had done throughout the entire time. Everyone seemed safe for the moment but he asked anyway.

"Is everybody fine?" asked Speedy to the crowd.

"Yeah, I'm cool," answered Aqualad.

"Sí, somos finos," answered the twins

"I'll be alright," answered Bumble Bee slightly rubbing her shoulder.

"Okay, how about you, Terra?"

Terra didn't answer. She didn't even hear him. Bumble Bee turned to the blonde and looked at her worriedly.

"Um, Terra, I'm asking if you're hurt," Speedy repeated his inquiry.

"Huh? Ah…yeah I'm fine…" Terra answered with a complete lack of spirit.

With an answer like that, Speedy had a hard time believing her. He tried to push his inquiry further but he was distracted when a loud explosion occurred in the back of the building then shook the ground beneath them. Suddenly they remembered what was so urgent.

"This place is coming down," said Aqualad, "We need to get out, now!"

"On it!" exclaimed Speedy.

Speedy quickly slung an explosive arrow onto his bow and aimed towards the door. He shot the arrow and it blew apart the glass doorways that were the entrance to the planetarium. Aqualad grabbed hold of the handcuffed henchman's collar once again and all of them made a dash for the door.

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Back at the underground chamber.

The room was completely empty. The room had outlived its usefulness and therefore didn't need to be occupied any longer. There was only one last thing active in the room and that was Professor Chang's personal computer terminal.

The display hasn't changed from over ten minutes ago. It still displayed the same cryptic message: 'SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED'. the timer below the message counted down nearly at its last number.

_00:06…00:05…00:04…00:03…00:02…00..01..00:00._

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From outside the planetarium.

If onlookers had a bird's eye view, they would be in for a truly grand visual. For a brief moment in time, the night was lit by explosions of the self-destructing planetarium. Several small but bright explosions, starting from the back of the planetarium, detonated in sequence. The several small explosions blasted away walls and windows that were mostly on the upper floors.

Then, the roof started to detonate. The giant dome of a roof started to blow up in several random locations. The dome collapsed in on it self and imploded into the planetarium's inner structure. Once the dome had completely collapsed, on final explosion blew what remained of the structure to smithereens.

In the aftermath of the explosion and the coming down of the abandoned planetarium, a tall pillar of smoke emanated from a raging inferno inside the rubble remains of the planetarium. Fortunately for the surrounding buildings, the planetarium had a very wide open area, that mostly consisted of grass lawns and parking spaces surrounding it so there was no collateral damage.

On the front lawn, the Titans East gathered safely away from the inferno. The handcuffed henchman that they brought along seemed to have fainted from all the excitement and was snoozing on the ground. Speedy was the first one to check around to see that everybody was okay. He saw everybody gathered around him and that they were mostly uninjured, but he soon noticed that Terra was missing from the group.

"Hey," he called out, "Where's Terra?"

The Titans looked around for a bit and soon found the blonde in question. She was standing a short distance away from the rest of the team, overlooking the crumbled and burning remains of the planetarium as if she was in a trance. The rest of the Titans approach Terra slowly, except for Bumble Bee who knew about the girl's plight.

"Um…you okay there, Terra?" asked Speedy as he was the first one to her.

"…It's…not true…" Terra mumbled softly while turning her head down.

"What?"

A single tear ran down Terra's cheek. "…It can't be true…I'm not a…"

Speedy made a reach for Terra's shoulder. "Terra, what's wron--"

Speedy was interrupted when Bumble Bee suddenly grabbed one of his shoulders and held him back. Speedy looked over his shoulder towards Bumble Bee. She had a forlorn look on her face. Speedy looked at Bumble Bee with a questioning glance. Bumble Bee simply replied by shaking her head from side to side.

Terra continued to sob. With all the emotion she was going through she lost the strength in her legs and she spontaneously dropped to the ground on her knees and palms. None of the Titans approached her anymore. After all, what would they have to say to her?

"…Tell me it's not true…" Terra mumbled on while sobbing, "…Somebody…"

The Titans East looked down on her with genuinely concerned looks in their eyes. All except for Bumble Bee who in her knowledge was having the hardest time trying to figure out a way to explain to everyone else the situation as well as comfort the sobbing girl.

"…Please, tell me…" Terra continued, "…I'm real…"

Somewhere in the distance, beyond the noise of the approaching sirens, the rising sun's golden haze slowly lit up the dawn.

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Author's note: Like I promised the last time, plenty of action in this chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed. I glad to know that you guys are actually reading and liking, to some degree, this grammatical disaster of a fic. Tune in (or log is I should say) next update where there will be even more plot twists. Pls. R&R!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Now what was I gonna say…Oh yeah…I don't own anything!

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In the depths of the man-made facility under False Vulcan.

In the large cavern that housed the main part of the dreaded GeoHammer, there was the usual buzzing of activity as wasp soldiers, drones and white-suited henchmen were all working together to put the finishing touches in the massive weapon. Several men were on computer terminal doing some debugging of the programs installed while others are finishing up small detail work like replacing metal panels to cover th internal mechanics.

Near the base of the vast space, close the vertical pit that ran deep into the earth, a large bay door opened up. From the doorway a single white-suited henchman walked out carrying a cylindrical steel case with him. He walked a few feet ahead of the doorway but the doorway doesn't close yet. Moments after the henchman entered, loud stomping sounds could be heard coming from the doorway.

Moments after the white-suited henchman entered, something else, something big, came through the doorway. The white-suited henchman looked behind him at the large thing in question and didn't even flinch. It was something the men working under Brother Blood nicknamed 'the stonecutter'.

A vague way of describing the stonecutter was that it was a giant, robot gorilla. It was a gigantic machine standing at over sixteen feet and it must have weighed at least a ton. It was humanoid, having two stubby legs to stand on, a torso for all the vital stuff like the engine and controls, and two long arms. The right are had a forearm ending in a three pronged claw, while the left arm, from the elbow down, was a large, high-tech looking drill. To pilot the thing, a single wasp soldier sat inside a vertical cockpit at the front part of the torso, behind a thick fiberglass canopy. In true HIVE fashion, the giant mechanical beast was mostly clad in black and yellow armor.

The stonecutter has been in the employ of Brother Blood for quite some time. It was mainly used as a construction robot. It specialized in ground work and digging, hence its name. Brother Blood had used this machine in making several of his underground bases. It definitely proved its worth here in the caverns of False Vulcan where the GeoHammer project took place.

The white-suited henchman put the metal case on the ground and opened it. He reached into the container and pulled out a familiar golden glowing crystal with jagged edges. The crystal's golden slow illuminated quite an area for its size. The white-suited henchman lifted it into the air as if offering it to the massive machine that is the stonecutter.

The pilot of the stonecutter acknowledged the henchman's offer and maneuvered the right claw arm of the stonecutter to gently grab the offered crystal, careful not to apply so much pressure that the crystal might break. Once the crystal was secured by the stonecutter's claw, the pilot gave a nod to the white-suited henchman who soon nodded back.

The henchman stepped back a few feet from the stonecutter as a safety measure since he knew what was about to happen. The stonecutter straitened its stance. On the back part of the torso, two tube-like attachments are obvious. They both started humming. After a few moments of humming, it was soon revealed that the two tubes attached to the stonecutter's back were parts of a built in jet pack. Exhaust came blazing from the underside of both boosters which slowly lifted the massive machine off of the ground. An amazing achievement when one thought about it.

Slowly increasing its speed, the massive stonecutter flew up the entire height of the vast space of the cavern. On several balcony floors, men took a moment of their time to watch the flying machine carry the golden glowing crystal in its claw arm. Some stared in amazement while others seemed a bit bored.

The stonecutter reached its destination when it reached the tip of the downwards pointing needle attached to the ceiling of the cavern. On the tip of the needle, upon closer inspection, was glass casing about a size bigger than the golden glowing crystal that had an opening. The stonecutter slowly approached this glass casing, hovering at a steady altitude. With almost surgical care, the pilot of the stonecutter inserted the golden crystal into the glass casing. The glass casing slide closed and completely encased the crystal.

The stonecutter retreated from the needle and slowly eased itself back down to the lowest level. Within seconds of the insertion of the crystal, the entire length of the giant needle started to glow a dim golden haze. Over a period of a few moments the golden glow became a bit brighter and seemed to have reached its peak brightness.

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Inside the comforts of a nearby control room.

Brother Blood and Professor Chang who stood next to him watched all the events the took place via a giant computer screen feeding in surveillance video with a certain degree of satisfaction. Everything seemed to have gone according to plan for them both. The GeoHammer was nearly completed at this point.

Brother Blood turned in his seat to face Professor Chang. "You've done exceptionally well, my friend. You've far exceeded my every expectation."

"Thank you," replied Chang, "Now all that's left to do is to wait for the final touches on the machine to be made and then we will be ready to fire it up, as it is said."

"And it will only be a short time before the GeoHammer is completely finished."

"How soon will the project be finished?"

"Well, me engineers tell me they hit a snag with regards to the weapons software. They found a lot of bugs that needed to be worked out before the weapon itself is to be fully operational. So, at this rate, we can expect the weapon to be done in just over twelve hours…"

"Hmm…it would seem this project is just full of snags isn't it, my friend?"

"Maybe, but at this point, it a trivial matter."

"May I remind you that the Titans are still alive and they seem to have captured one of my men. They could come _here_ directly and become a problem."

"It doesn't matter. Whether they come here or not, it won't change a thing. The weapon is almost complete and there is nothing they could do to stop it. Even if they do somehow find their way into this place, I am quite prepared for them."

"You sound very full confidence, my friend."

"I'm always full of confidence when I know victory is assured…"

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On the roof of Titans Tower: East.

It was already late in the afternoon. The sky is colored in a beautiful shade of orange due to the rapidly setting sun. The ocean, colored in the same fashion as the sky, stretched over the horizon which almost made it look like it stretched on to an eternity. The sight was truly magnificent.

However, the sight's magnificence was the last thing on Terra's mind. She was again dressed in her usual white shirt, blue jeans, and sandals. She stood close to the edge of the roof top, overlooking the vast ocean in front of her. Her expression was blank, showing off almost no emotion. Her eyes were mostly looking down the length of the tower. The wind was blowing away her hair but she barely acknowledged it.

Last night and most of this morning was the absolute pits for her. After being told the complete story from Professor Chang himself, she wanted so desperately for the whole event to have just been a bad dream. The bad dream continued however when they got back to the tower. Bumble Bee calmed Terra down enough only to tell her about the little conversation Robin and Bumble Bee had. Not only did that shock the rest of the team but only served to break down Terra's spirits even more.

Hearing about Bumble Bee's conversation with Robin was like the final nail in the coffin for Terra. Her spirit was in shambles. They knew then that a single request to the Titans of the west coast and they will be provided with undeniable proof. There was no longer any denying of the clear and awful truth that Terra herself has finally reconciled to believe.

She was not real.

She was a genetically identical copy of the real Terra that was currently living in Jump City, all the way in the opposite coast. She was nothing but a man-made creation to be a part of a weapon designed to dominate the world. Nothing more.

The wind blew at Terra's hair again. She resumed staring at the vast ocean in front of her. A moment or two later she took a few steps closer to the edge of the rooftop. She was already accustomed to heights so the sheer altitude didn't affect her. It was a very long way down from where she stood on the edge. While she was staring down, a familiar voice called out from behind her which she recognized as Speedy's.

"By the time you reach halfway down this tower, I would've already shot a grappling cable to catch you and pull you back up so don't even try…"

Terra looked behind her to fully acknowledge Speedy. Though it wasn't really necessary she took a step or two away from the edge mostly for Speedy's benefit. She gave the archer a slightly insulted look then turned her head back towards the ocean.

"That wasn't what I was thinking to do, you know…" said Terra without even looking at Speedy.

Speedy folded his arms. "Could've fooled me."

"…What do you want?"

"To talk, that's all."

"Why would you wanna talk with me?"

"Umm… I don't know. Maybe it's because we're friends and talking to each other is what friends do for each other when they're in distress. Yo know, that kind of stuff."

"I don't wanna talk."

"I really think that you need to talk to me, Terra."

"Oh, so you're a professional psychiatrist now, Speedy?"

"No, Terra. But I do know that the best thing for you right now is to have a little chat with someone who actually cares about you, ya' know?"

"There's nothing to talk about. And besides I'm in no mood right now."

"You were in no mood during lunch. I was hoping you'd open up right about now."

"Sorry to disappoint you, now can you leave me alone?"

"No. The only person disappointing you is yourself. We have to talk and settle a few things. C'mon, help me out here and you'll see that it's the right thing to do, Terra."

"…Don't call me that."

"C'mon, what is your problem, girl?"

Terra did a complete one-eighty and faced Speedy directly. "What's my problem? Seedy, you've never woken up one morning and found out that you were artificially created in a test tube. You've never had someone point out to you that all the memories you are of things that never even happened to you. You never had to find out that you and the world you lived in was not even real! So don't ever come at me asking me what my problem is Speedy, 'cause you have no idea."

Speedy was taken aback. "Look, Terra I know this is hard for you but--"

"I said you have no idea!" At that point Terra was already up at Speedy's face.

Speedy glared back. "Then why don't you try and make me understand so that we can have a better conversation?"

"There's no point in trying to draw a picture for you, Speedy!"

"First you call me a shrink, now you're calling me a moron?"

"I'm not calling you anything! It's just that you'd never be able to understand my feelings about this."

"Look, I just want to help you, Terra. We all want to help you. If you just give us a chance to help you, we might be able to work on something."

"Nobody can do anything to help me, Speedy. Don't you get it? I'm not real!"

"You really gonna buy that crap from that scrawny old fart? Chang said some things but that doesn't mean you should take them seriously, ya' know."

"Why shouldn't I? You've seen the evidence for yourself just now. I'm a clone. I'm artificial, synthetic. The real Terra is out there somewhere. I'm not her, Speedy, I'm not real."

"Is that all you're gonna believe? That you're not real?"

"Don't you believe it?"

"No, I don't."

"Then you're a bigger moron than I thought you were."

Now Speedy was getting mad. "You keep saying you're not real. But here you are standing right in front of me. This conversation we're having, you think it's not real too? How about all those times you spent with me, or Aqualad, Bumble Bee, the twins? Are those times not real to you as well. Do you think that the little girl you saved at the Shady Hills mall thinks you're not real? Are you saying none of those times matter to you? _I_ don't matter to you?"

"Would you just stop caring already! I'm not worth it! I've tried moving forward like you guys said. But how can I move forward if I never had anything to start with? My memories are lies to me."

"That doesn't matter. You can always start out fresh. You're still alive and as long as you're alive, you don't need an excuse to stop living."

"Can it, Speedy. I'm not in the mood for any of that philosophical crap."

Speedy was so frustrated he was about to blow his top. "I'm just trying my best to help you in this situation. But if you're not gonna let me--"

Terra was also getting mad. "Why the hell do you care so much about me?"

Speedy was practically yelling. "Because I can! And if you won't be able to care about yourself, then somebody has to!"

"Stop it! I don't need your sympathy or anyone else's, alright. It won't change the truth about me. I'm supposed to exist. It's worthless trying to care about me so just stop tying, okay? Leave me alone!"

Terra turned away from Speedy who seemed hardly phased by Terra's outburst. In fact, he seemed even more ticked off. Terra, on the other hand, was actually on the brink of tears while turned away from Speedy. Imagine how hard of a blow it was to her with what Speedy said next.

"…You're right," he said, "It's not worth it, trying to care about you."

Terra's eyes widened when she heard this.

"Why should I care for someone who can't even see the worth in themselves," continued Speedy, "It's redundant. Like trying to draw water from a rock in the desert. I'm totally wasting my time…"

Terra was getting mad for some reason.

Speedy continued. "I shouldn't even be bothering with you right now. I have _real_ friends that I could always count on. They may be a bit modest but at least they rank themselves a little higher than laboratory leftovers…"

Terra was almost fuming.

Speedy continued. "I could very well be spending my time with my friends or make new friends that'll actually return my sentiments, ya know. Talking to you is like talking to a wall."

Terra fumed. "…Shut up…"

Speedy kept on going. "All those times I spent with were all a big waste of my time. If I had known things would amount to this I would have never tried to get so close to you. The real Terra might have lost her memories and her powers but I would definitely bet that _she_ would hear me out better. I was a complete idiot to think I could ever be close to you…"

Terra was struggling to keep in her rage. "Shut up!"

Speedy drove it home. "After all, you're not real…"

That last remark finally set Terra off. "I told you to shut up!"

Terra spun around to face Speedy in an instant, at the same time, throwing a fist towards his face. Speedy's highly trained reflexes allowed him to block Terra's fist just in time before it caused any damaged. Speedy was actually very surprised that Terra could deliver such an accurate and precise strike. He knew that a strike like that could have only come with years of some kind of training.

Terra then proceeded to show Speedy that she didn't need superpowers to kick serious butt. She threw her other hand towards Speedy nearly nailing him in the face again. Speedy managed to hop back and out of the way.

Terra charged at him. Upon coming within suitable range, Terra extended her leg in a powerful thrusting kick. Speedy managed to brace himself soon enough by crossing both arms in front of his chest to block the kick. The sheer force of the kick still managed to actually push Speedy back a few feet. Speedy soon recovered from the blow only to see that Terra was charging at him again.

Speedy went on the offensive this time, charging at Terra himself. They met halfway. Speedy tried to tackle Terra but the girl was skilled enough that she saw it coming and was readily able to counter the move. Just as Speedy's hands managed to get hold of Terra's shoulders, she shifted he weight and grabbed onto Speedy's own shoulders. She managed to flip Speedy up over her head then slam him down on the roof.

Speedy sprawled on the gravel that lined the roof of the tower. He was very surprised at how good Terra actually was in close combat. He soon realized that Terra was upon him again. Terra stood over Speedy and threw a hand, opened palmed, down on Speedy's face. Speedy narrowly escaped having his face flattened into the gravel by rolling onto the side.

Speedy rolled a few feet to the side. He hastily tried to get back up. He was very unfortunate since as soon as he got back on his feet, Terra was already in front of him. Terra was kneeling down close to the ground. Using all the strength from her legs, she propelled herself upwards in a backward flip. During the flip her feet swung out and nailed Speedy right in the chin.

Speedy was thrown back several feet from the massive back flip kick Terra performed on him. Terra landed expertly on both feet while Speedy sprawled all over the roof again. That was the second time Terra had to use that move in the last twenty-four hours.

Unlike usual, Speedy didn't recover as soon as hoped. Terra calmed down from her fit and soon came to realize how she beat the crap out of the archer. Terra's anger turned to concern as she quickly made her way to the downed Speedy to check up on him.

She knelt down next to him. "Speedy, Are you okay?"

Speedy reached a hand to rub his sore chin. "Damn, girl, you can sure kick butt."

Terra helped him up to a sitting position. "God, I am so sorry about that."

"Oh, don't feel so bad. I've taken harder hits before."

"Still, I shouldn't have exploded on you like that."

"With all that stuff I said, I was practically begging for it anyways."

"Speedy, why'd you make me do it? Why did you say all that stuff to set me off? I mean I… just can't understand it."

"I was trying to prove a point…"

"What point?"

Speedy stood up. "You're alive Terra."

"…"

"You're alive and you know it. The fact that you reacted the way you did to the things I said about you, proves that somewhere deep down you still believe that you're alive. You may deny it all you want on the outside, but you know that's the truth."

"Speedy…I…"

"If the rest of us can believe that, so can you with a little effort."

"Please, Speedy… just let it go alre--"

"You and I are both in the 'superhero' business, Terra. Being that, we should know that the most important thing to hold onto is life. We must never give up on life, Terra. It doesn't matter whether you're a clone, the real Terra, or anyone else. The life we live is the most precious thing in this world and is worth fighting for. I'm asking you simply, Terra, not to give on life just yet…"

Terra looked away from Speedy. She couldn't find the words to respond to him with.

"Remember what we told you, Terra," continued Speedy, "You're not alone…"

Speedy waited for an answer to come from Terra. He had said all that he could say to her. He knew that the rest would be totally up to her at that point. So even though it took a long time for her to say something back, he was patient. He trusted her fully.

"Speedy…I," said Terra, "…I can't just give an answer right now… I need to think things through a bit more."

"You need some time don't you?" inquired Speedy.

"Yeah, I…need to leave. I can't think straight here. Too many…ghosts…"

"I understand."

Neither of them said a word after that. Terra simply walked off to the elevator and disappeared into it, leaving speedy behind to take in the warm afternoon breeze.

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A little later.

Speedy walked out of the elevator, down the hall, and into the main room of the tower. There, the rest of the team, with the exception of Terra of course, has gathered in front of the main computer in discussion. Upon noticing Speedy, the twins were the first ones to him.

"¿Terra al tiene razón?" they asked.

"Chill guys," Speedy responded, "Terra's just fine. She needs a little time-off that's all."

Aqualad walked up to Speedy. "What happened to your chin?"

"Let's just say that reverse-psychology is not without its hazards,"

"I see. But Terra is alright, right?"

"She's fine, but like I said she has a lot of sorting out to do."

"I can't blame her," said Bumble Bee, "I was there when Chang broke the news to her and told her life's story. The expression on her face was terrible. Where is she now?"

"She left the tower."

"¿Se fue fuera?" asked Más.

"¿Ésa es realmente la cosa sabia para hacer por el momento?" asked Menos.

"She knows enough to avoid people. And at this point I don't think she is in any danger anymore from being captured by either Blood or Chang. We all know what already happened…"

There was a moment of silence.

"Well Terra may be safe for the moment," said Aqualad, "but that also means we have a major problem on our hands now, right Bee?"

"Right," replied Bumble Bee, "Since we know that Chang has already acquired Terra's powers, it means that they are one step closer to finishing the GeoHammer that Chang was talking about."

"And we could be facing a crisis here," said Speedy.

"Our main priority now is to find this weapon and stop it dead in its tracks. The world's safety is at risk here and we cannot waste time."

"But do we even have any leads as to where this mondo weapon is at?"

"Remember that henchman we took in last night. He's been quite generous in giving information. The chief of police has already forwarded enough information to us to get a pretty good idea as to where the GeoHammer is being built at. With this information we might be able to pull something out."

"Awesome, we can move out immediately."

"Esperar un minuto," said the twins, "¿ser ti sure que podemos dejar Terra a solas?"

"Um, yeah, can we really let Terra stay by herself?" inquired Bumble Bee.

Everyone turned to Speedy.

"Guys," he said, "Don't worry about her, she can take care of herself."

"Are you sure?" asked Aqualad.

"We may have only known her for just a short time, but I know her enough to trust her that she'll do the right thing."

The other Titans thought about this for a moment or two and they found out that they couldn't argue the truth in Speedy's words.

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Somewhere along the shoreline.

Night has fallen and the hazy moon has cast a pale blue light to illuminate the calm and tranquil beaches on the shoreline. It took about an hour or so for Terra to arrive here as she wandered trying to gather then organize her many chaotic thoughts.

She was walking on a wide beach area. To one side was the vast ocean, to the other was a sheer vertical rock face over ten stories high. There seemed to be no-one around except for her. This suited her just fine. Speedy already pointed it out earlier, that she needed time alone to think, and he was right. But still somewhere at the back of her mind she was wishing for some kind of company besides shore crabs.

She kept on walking for who knows how long. She did not bother to count time at that point. All she could think about was the things that Speedy and her talked about versus the things she said about herself and the things Professor Chang said about her.

She pondered many points. Is she really alive and worth living for like Speedy said? Is she just a worthless clone that Chang made her up to be? What would the other Titans be thinking about her? Did they really care? If she chose to resolve that she was just a clone, what would that amount to? If she chose to take a shot on life once again, what future could she possibly have?

Terra stopped in her stroll. All this thinking was not only filling her head with more questions, it was also feeding in an unusually large amount of frustration. Add that to all the tension she's been feeling in the past hours and she was ready to explode once again.

She turned towards the rock face. Her hands started to glow golden. Then she proceeded to vent out her frustrations.

She yelled. "What…"

She swung her arm to the side. Part of the rock face suddenly exploded and several broken pieces of stone fell onto the beach, making splashes in the sand.

She again yelled. "…the hell…"

She swung her other arm to the side. Another part of the rock face exploded in the same manner as the first explosion and rained down more debris onto the sand below.

She lastly yelled. "…am I?"

She raised both her arms and swung them down. The rock face exploded again in a much more powerful explosion than the previous two. Large chunks of the rock fell to the sand below which kicked up large splashes of sand into the air.

Terra calmed down a bit and let her arms drop. She stood back and saw her work. The rock face has been decimated. A complete half-dome has formed near the bottom of the cliff. The half-dome was big enough to live in. Terra dropped her head again. Her frustration had given way to disappointment.

Terra knew that no matter how many times she asked that question, nobody would answer her. Nobody could answer her. She has always been afraid of being lost. Now she felt the most lost she has ever felt. It filled her with more insecurities than any one person should have. At that moment, those insecurities were bringing her on the brink of tears.

"Oh my, why do young ones like you always make such an awful mess?"

The sudden voice of an old woman startled Terra somewhat. The blonde girl immediately turned her attention to the source of the voice. Terra's eyes widen as she stared at a very, very familiar old woman.

The old woman was short, about half of Terra's height give or take an inch. She was dressed in a simple red sundress under a long blue jacket and wore sandals on her feet. To emphasize her age, the woman had a face as wrinkled as a walnut with two beady, black eyes. Her long, gray hair was braided on both sides of her head and hung down to her waist. Topping her head was a brown derby hat. She gripped a wooden cane that was as tall as she was.

The True Master herself, Chu-hui.

Terra was speechless.

Chu-hui noticed. "How rude for you not to remember as quickly as you should. Children these days are so distasteful, at least the boy with the spiky hair was a bit more polite."

Terra stumbled for words. "M-Master? How did you get here?"

"The same way you did," said the True Master, "I walked…"

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Author's note: If you don't remember Chu-hui, she was in the Season 4 episode 'The Quest' where she was known mostly as the True Master.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

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On the beach along the shoreline.

"The last person," said Terra, "I would ever expect to show up, shows up. Man, this in one screwed up day and for the life of me I don't know why."

Terra's history with the True Master, Chu-hui, is vague at best. As most people would already know, Terra had spent most of her life a wanderer. It was only through mere coincidence that she met the True Master and came to live with her for a short period of time as well as pick up a few tricks in martial arts.

In the Far East, Terra came to Chu-hui's village from the northern countries as an exile and a runaway. A villager found her by chance in forest close to the village, unconscious from exhaustion and lack of food. She was brought to the village and was cared for. It wasn't long before she revealed the fact that she wasn't a normal human being.

The True Master, Chu-hui, came to Terra's aide there. She offered her help to Terra and the blonde teen readily accepted. She spent much time on the mountain peak where the True Master trained her students. She made friends with three guardians of the mountain and soon became very profound in martial arts.

Things seemed to be perfect for Terra but an incident involving some unknown aggressors made Terra's situation turn to worse. A group of bandits attacked the village. Terra did her best to rid the village of these aggressors and actually succeeded for the most part. Unfortunately, her powers went out of control and caused some damage and even hurt somebody.

Even though the damage was not that bad and nobody was seriously hurt. Terra felt very bad about herself. The village had generally forgiven her for her little mishap and even thanked her for ridding them of the bandits but Terra's own insecurities would not allow her to accept the praise. She soon left the village and though Chu-hui objected, the True Master could not convince her student otherwise.

Terra was again on the road. After a while she had cleared the continent and found herself in the western world. The rest is history.

Terra was seated on a fallen rock inside the half-dome cavern in the rock face. The fallen rock was actually her fault since her recent tantrum had caused a lot of rocks to fall as well as giving the rock face she was in an impromptu cave. To make the day even stranger was the old woman who was seated on another rock a couple of feet away from her.

That woman was Chu-hui known only to some as the True Master. As Terra had already mentioned, Master Chu-hui was the last person she had ever expected to actually show-up. After all, what are the chances that one of the world's greatest masters of martial arts would just happen to be half-way around the world from where she was supposed to be?

"You should be more appreciative of an old woman's company, you know," said Chu-hui, "Can you be any more rude than you already are?"

"Believe me, Master," said Terra, "If you had the day I've had, I'm sure you'd be a little rude yourself."

"Ohh? Then can you enlighten me?"

"It's nothing you'd be interested in."

"You underestimate my ability to listen, young lady."

Terra didn't say a word.

Chu-hui sighed. "I see you've not changed from our last meeting. Just like those long past days, you were always so quiet and repressed, never letting anyone get a glimpse of your thoughts. You were never like any of my other students."

"Master, I was nothing like your other students. None of your other students could just simply stand on a rock and fly to the peak of the mountain. Heck, if I wanted to, I could've made the peak of that mountain come down to me."

"You were special."

"I was a freak."

"I would rather not hear my own student refer to themselves as such, if you don't mind."

"My three best friends on that mountain were a talking bear, a talking monkey, and a talking snake. I'm pretty sure not a lot of people would consider that being normal, Master…"

"Taking shame in your past will only lead you doubt your future."

Terra laughed. "Heh, my future. There's an interesting case study."

"This humors you?"

"You wouldn't understand, I told you that already. Wait, what are you even doing here? you never answered my question."

"Same reason as you…" the True Master took in a deep breath, "I love the sea breeze, it's so relaxing."

A vein popped in Terra's temple. "You know that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why would you be half-way around the world from where you lived. Aren't martial arts masters supposed to be anti-social secluded dudes who live on mountain peaks and talk to trees and--"

"Do not dare compare me to those idiotic stereotypes lest I pound you with my cane, child!"

"Heh, case in point… So what are your reasons for being here then?"

"Does one need a reason to visit family?"

"Family? You have a family here?"

"Yes, I do. Do you not remember?"

"Oh wait, yeah. I do remember. You did say you have family living here…"

Terra knew the story well. The story was told to her by her master, Chu-hui, which regarded her life's story. Chu-hui was once part of a large family. Chu-hui grew up with a semi-lavish lifestyle since her family was part of the upper class. But, when she got into martial arts she developed a passion for it and did everything in accordance with mastering it. Despite the fact that all her mastering has distanced her from her family, she did a fine job of keeping ties with them.

Every once and a while, a family member would visit her village and sometimes she herself would go out of the village and meet her family members where they live. Today seemed to be the latter case. Chu-hui then explained to Terra that she came to this country to visit a grandnephew who she knew was having some issues. Her meeting with Terra was nothing but a complete coincidence.

"In the continuous journey that is life," said Chu-hui, "one is always pressed to move forward. However, one must never forget one's roots for they are one's identity. One would be lost without identity…"

Terra looked at the sand on her feet. "Roots… tsk…"

"Again, you humor at the subject, young lady. Maybe there is something that we should discuss. I think that would be best."

"Damn, not again… There's nothing to talk about! Why can't people just drop it and leave me alone?

"From the way you sound, it seems that there is plenty to talk about."

"No there isn't! You wouldn't understand! Nobody would understand… Why am I even talking to you like this? I'm not even your student for gods' sake…"

"Oh? How is that?"

"How is what?"

"You're not my student, you say. But I see you and you have the same face, the same body, and the same rude disposition to your elders. You are my student."

"No, Master, I am not. I'm…something else."

"…Care to explain to an old woman?"

"It wouldn't do you much good…"

"How would you know if you won't even try?"

Terra sighed exasperatingly. She knew enough about Chu-hui to know that at that point she would not let the subject go no matter what Terra might ever say to her. So, Terra started to explain.

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In the mountain ranges outside the city.

The five members of the Titans East have gathered near the base of the peak known as False Vulcan. They were familiar with the mountain and its particular history. It has been sort of a signature mark for Steel City. They have also visited the site a couple of times in the past. They never would have expected that at that very moment, the mountain would be hiding what could be the most dangerous weapon on Earth to date.

The Titans gathered on a small cliff where the slope of the mountain met the end of the forest surrounding it. In front of them was the rising slope of the mountain and behind them was a drop-off into the forest below. They were there on a search mission but what exactly were they searching for was up for debate. They came here only through rough information that was gathered through a captured henchman. Being that as it may, they still went out on blind trust of the henchman's information.

After all, even unreliable information is better than no information, the Titans' experiences would attest to that. Even if they couldn't confirm the information right away it was that they had to act on. Plus, they had another more pressing obstacle: time. Now that the super weapon GeoHammer was nearing completion and they were pressed for time.

"You guys find anything yet?" inquired Bumble Bee.

"Somos sorry decir que no hemos encontrado algo sospechoso," said the twins.

"I haven't seen anything, either," said Aqualad.

"Same here," said Speedy, "This is turning out to be a lousy night."

"There are still some areas we haven't searched yet," said Bumble Bee, "We have to keep going, the fate of the world hangs in the balance."

"Since when has it not?…" said Speedy.

Suddenly a rumbling in the ground caught the Titans' attention. The Titans nearly lost their balance as the sudden and localized quake escalated as if the epicenter was rising to the surface. Moments later, it did. On the edge of the clearing behind the Titans, an explosion of dirt and grass shot up into the air. As soon as the cloud of dust cleared the Titans craned their heads to see what it was.

Standing near a freshly made hole in the ground, a gigantic humanoid machine in black and yellow armor loomed over the Titans East. Its left arm had a drill bit that was still spinning at a high velocity. In side the vertical cockpit of the machine grinned menacingly down at the Titans who in turn prepared themselves for battle.

"A stonecutter!" exclaimed Bumble Bee, "Be careful guys, that thing's tough, real tough!"

"There's only one of it," said Aqualad, "I sort of expected a bit more from the likes of Blood and Chang."

Just as Aqualad finished his statement more rumbling emanated from the soil beneath them. Two more explosions of dirt and grass came from behind the Titans. The Titans took a moment to look behind them. Two more stonecutters stood next to freshly made holes.

Speedy gave an annoyed glare at Aqualad, "Again, you just had to say something, didn't you?"

The first stonecutter charged at them. The stonecutters left drill arm was thrust to the ground in an attempt mince the Titans. All five of them scrambled in different directions. Bumble Bee and Speedy jumped backwards while Aqualad and the twins jumped to their sides.

Speedy and Bumble Bee who ended up close together began unleashing their arsenal at the first stonecutter. Speedy shot a couple of explosive arrows while Bumble Bee shot rapidly with her twin stingers. The attacks did very little to damage the stonecutter's heavy armor. In side the cockpit, the pilot grinned cockily.

Speedy and Bumble Bee then noticed a rumbling sound behind them. They looked and found the second stonecutter was upon them and ready to bring down its drill arm to where they stood. As the drill arm of the second stonecutter came down, Bumble Bee took to the air and Speedy rolled to the side.

While in the air, Bumble Bee began to fire on the second stonecutter with bolts from her twin stingers. But, just like the first, the armor took little damage. Wile she was distracted trying to fight the second stonecutter from the air, Bumble Bee failed to notice the third stonecutter aiming its right claw arm at her.

Without warning, the claw of the third stonecutter's right arm launched itself into the air and flew towards Bumble Bee. Trailing the flying claw was a long, steel cable that was being fed through the forearm and attached to the claw itself. The claw flew all the way to Bumble Bee's level. It made contact and clamped down on Bumble Bee's ankle. Bumble Bee was caught off-guard.

Suddenly the cord tightened and Bumble Bee found herself being reeled in like a fish from the water. She was unable to help herself so someone had to do it for her.

"Hey, dude!" exclaimed Aqualad as he charged from the side, "Show the lady some manners!"

Aqualad rushed in towards the preoccupied stonecutter. The pilot of the stone cutter noticed too late and was promptly shook out of his focus when Aqualad launched himself into the air and came back down with a kick to the stonecutter's right shoulder. The shock of the impact caused the stonecutter's claw to release Bumble Bee. Bumble Bee flew off to safety as Aqualad squared off with the third stonecutter.

Meanwhile, Speedy was having troubles dealing with the second and the first coming at him simultaneously. The first came at Speedy, trying to grab him with its claw and failing to do so as Speedy jumped back. Speedy quickly countered with an explosive arrow. The arrow was blocked be the first stonecutter's drill arm.

The second stonecutter charged at Speedy while he was in this vulnerable state. But just as the stonecutter was about to grab Speedy with it claw, Más and Menos stepped in from nowhere and began running circles around the giant ape-like machine, creating a blurry red and white circle as well as kicking up a lot of dust creating a cloud of it. This cloud left the pilot of the stonecutter blind and relatively helpless.

Speedy prepared himself again but was soon under the mercy of the first stonecutter that was charging him again. Speedy managed to dodge the charging machine by sliding to the side at the last second. Due to momentum, the stonecutter could not stop itself on a dime. A fact that Bumble Bee took advantage of.

Bumble Bee came swooping down and shooting with her stingers. But she wasn't aiming for the stonecutter itself, instead she was aiming at the ground beneath its feet. Her plow worked. The stonecutter tripped on a freshly made pothole courtesy of Bumble Bee's stingers. The gigantic machine fell forward and slid on the ground for a short distance before coming to rest.

"Well," said Bumble Bee, "the bigger they are…"

Bumble Bee looked around and saw that Speedy and the twins were fairly holding their own against the second stonecutter. She looked behind her and saw that Aqualad was having a bit of trouble with third stonecutter. Bumble Bee rushed to help out Aqualad.

Back at Speedy's side, the twins were still running circles around the stonecutter. The stonecutter was desperately swinging its drill arm without having much success. Speedy took this time to load another specialized arrow onto his bow. Speedy then waited for the opportune moment. It came soon enough.

At one point, the twins stopped in order to sort of mock the pilot of the stonecutter. The twins stood still for a moment, Más was picking his nose while Menos was cleaning his ear with his index finger. The pilot of the stonecutter fumed. The pilot raised the left arm, drill bit spinning, and thrust it back down towards the twins.

The twins didn't move until the last possible nanosecond when the dashed to the side in a blur of white and red. The drill bit missed them completely and dug deep into the ground. This was the opportune moment Speedy was waiting for. He shot his arrow at the place where the drill bit met the ground. The arrow was soon revealed to be a freeze arrow as it completely encased the drill bit in solid ice. The stonecutter was now stuck on the ground through its drill arm.

"That'll hold you," said Speedy, "Más, and Menos, go help out the others!"

"Sí, ¡podemos!" replied the twins.

The twins rushed towards where Aqualad and Bumble Bee were fighting with the third stonecutter. Speedy was about to run in after them but was suddenly stopped in his tracks when his vision suddenly flashed for a split-second. As soon as he opened his eyes again, he found that there was nothing left to look at as he was suddenly staring down an empty void.

Meanwhile, Aqualad was having trouble trying to get free from the stonecutter's grip while Bumble Bee was knocked down on the ground. Somewhere in the middle of their fight the stonecutter found an opening and had Aqualad clamped down in its claw and was now steadily crushing the Atlantean. Bumble Bee came in and was promptly swatted by chance of the drill arm. She was stunned but fairly uninjured. It would've been hopeless for Aqualad had he not have a few friends at hand.

Inside the cockpit of the third stonecutter, the pilot was grinning in cockiness. That grinned quickly turned into a gape of shock when Más and Menos suddenly appeared hanging onto the canopy, grinning ridiculously at the pilot. The sudden appearance of the twins caught the pilot off-guard and forced him to stumble backwards and at the same time let go of Aqualad.

Aqualad dropped safely to the ground. The twins were still hanging on to the canopy mockingly grinning and sticking their tongues out. Try as he might, the hapless pilot couldn't maneuver his large robotic arms in order to remove the annoying twins. This gave Aqualad some time to recover along with Bumble Bee who was just getting up.

Bumble Bee noticed the situation with the twins and the stonecutter and tried to think of a way to help. She flew to the air hoping to be able to make some airborne strike down at the distracted stonecutter. She was distracted herself as a she suddenly found herself in the hold of another claw. Looking down, she saw that the first stonecutter, the one she tripped, was back up on its feet and was reeling her in. However, she was ready for it.

To escape from the grip of the claw, she shrunk herself to the size of a grain of rice and promptly flew off. The pilot of the stonecutter was somewhat surprised to find that he was gripping nothing but air when his claw came back. Bumble Bee returned to her normal size in mid-air. The pilot looked up and saw the Titan leader grinning down at him. The pilot grumbled to himself.

Bumble Bee then noticed a bright flame shooting out of the back end of the stonecutter. She seemed curious for a bit then soon came to realization when she remembered one crucial fact about the stonecutters: the have jet packs.

The stonecutter launched into the air. Bumble was nearly swiped by the stonecutter's swinging drill arm. Bumble Bee managed to evade at the last second. She distanced herself to ensure she had enough room to maneuver while keeping her twin stingers at ready. The stonecutter and Bumble Bee were in an air battle.

Back on the ground, Speedy was having his own problems. In fact, he wasn't even sure where he was anymore. In his mind's eye he was somewhere else.

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Somewhere else…

Speedy stood on a rock crag that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. He looked around him and all he saw were towering rocks across a vast wasteland of gray earth. Speedy looked up. The sky above him was of an unnatural color. He pondered on a number of theories as to how he could have possibly ended up alone in such a place while he was just fighting alongside his friend just ten seconds ago.

He found that looking around was a pointless task. There was nothing around him worth being interested in. he moved his train of thoughts from trying to figure out how he got here to trying to figure out how he can get out of here. He could already tell it would not be simple.

"Such it is human nature that we are so lost in a world unfamiliar," a female voice suddenly came out of nowhere.

Speedy nearly jumped when he heard that voice. He couldn't figure out where it had come from. From where he stood, it was as if the voice came from all directions at once, including the inside of his head.

"Who are you?" inquired Speedy into the empty air.

"Me?" said the voice, "I am but a humble maiden…"

"Wait a minute… you're that girl who's called 'Fallacy' aren't you?"

"So you've heard of me, I see. But I know a lot about you too, O Masked archer…"

"Let me out of this place, now!"

"Begging your pardon, Masked archer, but I believe that you are in no position to make any sot of threats. You are in my domain now. You will not escape unless I permit you to escape…"

"When I get my hands on you, I'll--"

"As I said, you are in no position to do anything at the moment. So I would recommend that you simply stay put for the time being."

Speedy was stuck. He couldn't do anything at all. He knew that all he needed was one moment of opportunity. All she has to do is to show a moment of vulnerability and he might find an avenue of escape. But how could he attack her if he can't even see her? That question was about to be answered.

"Maybe I should entertain you personally so that you don't get bored…"

Speedy's ears pricked. That time, the voice came from only one direction. Speedy quickly turned his head in the corresponding direction of the voice. He saw Fallacy seated atop a nearby rock, looking coyly back at him. Speedy reacted in an instant by preparing a snare arrow. Living up to his namesake, Speedy aimed and fired the arrow in less than a tenth of a second.

Speedy's snare arrow flew up at Fallacy.

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Speedy's snare arrow flew up at Bumble Bee.

Bumble Bee was too busy squaring off with the airborne stonecutter to notice. She was totally off-guard when the snare arrow suddenly ensnared her in an unbreakable Kevlar rope net. The impact didn't hurt her but was enough to stun her. She fell to the ground in a daze.

"Oof!"

The stonecutter landed next to her. The pilot in side grinned knowing that he had won the battle by default. Aqualad saw what had happened to Bumble Bee through his peripheral vision again. He looked towards Speedy. As soon as he looked at Speedy his head ached all of the sudden.

"Dah!

The sting on his head was oddly familiar. Aqualad was already trying to remember where he had felt the exact same sensation. His memory brought back the moments of last night when Terra was captured. That time when his telepathic abilities detected a disturbance. It was Fallacy.

It mad sense now. Speedy was under influence of Fallacy's powers. He attacked Bumble Bee by complete accident. Aqualad tried to call out to Speedy to some how snap him back to his senses.

"Speedy!" Aqualad exclaimed, "It's Fallacy, she's tricking you! Don't fall for her--!"

Too late. Speedy was already loading another arrow onto his bow and he now aimed for Aqualad. Aqualad's pupils shrunk.

"Not again…" he mumbled.

Speedy fired the arrow. In a similar fashion as Bumble Bee, Aqualad was ensnared a Kevlar net and was stunned to the ground.

Meanwhile, the twins were still having fun annoying the pilot of the last stonecutter. A sudden 'whump' sound that came from the top of the stone cutter grabbed their attention. As the twins looked up, they saw a mech-ranger with his sword held at ready. The mech-ranger swung down at the twins. The twins yelped and jumped backwards and off the stonecutter's canopy in order to avoid the blade.

They fell to the ground on their butts. They looked up and they saw the mech-ranger had leapt off the stonecutter and came down again with a slash. The twins yelped again and rolled away from each other in order to keep their limbs. They both rolled a distance before getting back up on their feet. With the mech-ranger in between them, they didn't have access to their powers.

Más and Menos had the same idea of running around the mech-ranger so that they could come into contact with each other. But they were never able to execute their plan since they were both grabbed by the collar from behind by two other mech-rangers that just happened to show up. They were now helpless as they were lifted into the air, hanging by the mech-rangers' grip.

"Bien, esto no es bueno..." said the twins.

By that Time Speedy was finally waking up. He rubbed his eyes as the spell that he was in finally dissipated. He quickly examined the situation around him It didn't take a genius to know that the situation around him was bleak. Very bleak.

Speedy was about to rush in and help out his comrades but was suddenly grabbed from behind by another mech-ranger that appeared out of nowhere. The mech-ranger had Speedy in a bear hug and wasn't letting go anytime soon. Speedy, like the rest of his teammates, was now helpless. By now Aqualad and Bumble Bee were just recovering and also finding themselves helpless.

Moments later, Fallacy came out of nowhere snickering to herself. "O, how the mighty have fallen…"

Fallacy managed to grab the attention of all the Titans. They met her glace with accusing glares. Fallacy moved towards Bumble Bee who was still tied up on the ground. Dropped down and sat on her heels so that she could face Bumble Bee more clearly.

"It would seem that I am the victor tonight, Old friend…" said Fallacy.

"Maybe…" said Bumble Bee, "So what do you figure happens now?"

"Now? Well, I have orders to take you in. You should count yourselves lucky, Brother Blood is allowing you to live for a while longer. He still has plenty of experiments to do, even after we've taken over this world. It is preferable that he have…extraordinary test subjects…."

"You'll never get away with whatever you're planning, you know that?"

"O, I beg to differ, Old friend…"

Speedy has had enough by that point. His anger had already reached its limit. Speedy threw his head back knocking the back the mech-ranger that was holding and forced it to let go of him. Speedy quickly unleashed his bow and charged at Fallacy who was just noticing him.

Half-way from reaching her, the first mech-ranger crossed Speedy's path. Speedy couldn't react in time as the mech-soldier was already swinging his blade out towards Speedy. The archer couldn't do anything but raise his bow in front of him to block. The blade met Speedy's bow in a spine-tingling impact.

The impact was so hard that Speedy actually flew backwards. At the same time, Speedy also lost hold of his bow, which was shaken from his hand. Speedy slid and rolled all the way down the elevated clearing they were all standing on and fell right off the edge of the cliff and down into the forest below with a scream.

"Aaaahhh!"

"Speedy!" exclaimed all the Titans as they watched him go over the edge.

"…He left us no choice," said Fallacy, then looked back at Bumble Bee, "Too bad for him then…"

"Damn you, you heartless little--"

"Save your curses for later, Old friend, there fates much more worse than his. And all of them are reserved for you…"

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Back at the beach.

Terra had just finished her story. There was silence between the two women. The younger was patiently waiting for the older to say something meaningful. And, truth be told, she was getting tired of waiting. Despite the fact of her title as the True Master, which would indicate her level of wisdom, one would think she would have something to say by now, or at least half-an-hour ago.

"Well," Chu-hui finally spoke up, "Your story is quite interesting…"

Terra was stunned. "That's it? That's all you can say about my story."

"Yes. What did you expect?"

"What, no lengthy lectures, philosophical speeches, and all that. Master, do you even have any idea how big this issue is for me? I just bared my soul to you in telling you that I am just a genetic copy of the original synthetically made in a laboratory, and all you can say about it is that it was "interesting"?"

"This is the problem of watching too much TV. You expect too much when everything is so simple."

Terra was frustrated. "This is the farthest thing from simple!"

"…It sounds to me as if you want this to be a bigger issue than it's supposed to be."

Terra gave an exasperating sigh. "What are you talking about?"

Chu-hui stood up to show that what she was about to say was serious. "You say that you are a clone. That you are artificial and that you don't have the right to exist. Yet you feel emotion. You feel frustration, shock, anger, all of which you have exhibited in front of me since the start of our conversation. How can you deny such feelings? Those feelings our genuine and therefore you are genuine…"

"Master, please…"

"Let me finish. You say you are not real. That maybe true, maybe not. But that does not matter to me and it should not matter to you either."

"…Why not?"

"You are a living creature. You have a future. It should not matter whether you were born yesterday, or a hundred years ago. You are here, now, and you are alive. You have a story to write."

"A story… to write?"

"We each have our own story in life that we must continuously write. And like all stories, only we have te right to decide when we end our story. Do you want to end your story now? I don't believe so. As long as you can keep writing story, the future holds an infinite choice of possibilities. The true measure of any person is their ability to keep writing their story as far as it can go. How far are you willing to write your story?"

Terra looked down onto the sand, deep in thought, "My story…"

Chu-hui simply stood by and waited for Terra to say something. There was a long moment of silence where neither of the two moved or talked.

Eventually, Terra spoke up again. "…If I choose to continue my story, what could I live for?"

"That, my dear student, is entirely up to you…"

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Author's Note: Terra and Chu-hui's conversation continues next update, alone with what happens next to the Titans East. Pls. R&R. If you do, I might update sooner.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own… blah blah blah…

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In the woods below False Vulcan

Speedy's eyes opened after what seemed like an eternity of forced sleep. It took a while before his vision lost its blur. When his eyes did regain their normally sharp vision, it wasn't much of a help to Speedy since he soon found out he didn't have the slightest idea where the hell he was.

Speedy tried to get up. He did so with moderate difficulty. There were several spot on his body that were aching and soar. He was familiar with pain, his job called for it. He may have been soar but he was thankful that he wasn't soar enough to indicate that anything was broken. He was okay, for the most part at least. In a few seconds, he was back on his feet.

When his neck muscles weren't so soar anymore, he gave his surroundings another once-over. It was the same as the first time he looked. Trees, trees, and even more trees. He wracked is brain for an explanation as to how he might have gotten here. His memory recalled the last moments of their battle against Brother Blood's troops

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Speedy has had enough by that point. His anger had already reached its limit. Speedy threw his head back knocking the back the mech-ranger that was holding and forced it to let go of him. Speedy quickly unleashed his bow and charged at Fallacy who was just noticing him.

Half-way from reaching her, the first mech-ranger crossed Speedy's path. Speedy couldn't react in time as the mech-soldier was already swinging his blade out towards Speedy. The archer couldn't do anything but raise his bow in front of him to block. The blade met Speedy's bow in a spine-tingling impact.

The impact was so hard that Speedy actually flew backwards. At the same time, Speedy also lost hold of his bow, which was shaken from his hand. Speedy slid and rolled all the way down the elevated clearing they were all standing on and fell right off the edge of the cliff and down into the forest below with a scream.

"Aaaahhh!"

"Speedy!" exclaimed all the Titans as they watched him go over the edge.

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Remembering that little blink of history actually caused his body to slightly ache once again. He shook it off and started trying to think of a plan as to how his gonna get out of his situation. First, he assessed what he had on hand. It wasn't much.

A quick survey reminded him that he lost his bow. That pretty much made his pack of arrows useless past a couple of feet in front of his face. That meant that he was also helpless in his current state. He had no practical means in rescuing his friends let alone taking down Blood and Chang's entire operation. Plus there was also the fact that he was slightly hurt.

He re-checked himself for injuries. Aside from a bruise here and there, there was nothing overly serious. No bones were broken and nothing inside seemed to be bleeding. But still he was hurt. He was in no condition to take on anyone, not without taking a couple of aspirins first. He needed to get back to the tower and get help.

As he started moving through the forest and back towards the city limits, Speedy's thought brought up a new issue. Who to call for help. After searching all his viable options, he found only one that was available: Terra. He knew immediately that she might be a problem.

Terra had certain issues she needed to work out and that didn't exactly make her primed for battle. She needed to find her resolve again first. But at that current situation she needed to do it fast. If she didn't, the Titans East are doomed.

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Back on the beach.

Terra and Chu-hui were simply sitting on their respective rocks staring out into the ocean. Chu-hui seemed to be enjoying the calm and cooling sea breeze. Terra on the other hand seemed deeply engrossed in thought. They have been like this for about a third of an hour or so. Chu-hui knew not to rush Terra in what ever she was thinking about.

Finally, Terra spoke up. "What's out there that's worth living for?"

"I am afraid that I cannot answer that question," said the True Master, "Only we can decide what things we have that is worth living for."

"How would you know if the ideal you have is like that?"

"We can never tell immediately if the things we hold are that of which we can dedicate ourselves completely to. There is always a chance that we can never find enough passion in those ideals so that we eventually loose sight of them. But then again, sometime the things we hold have hope for us in them. If we find something that we truly love, we dedicate ourselves to it, draw strength from it, and ultimately live through it."

"So you're saying I just have to keep on trying out stuff 'till I find something worth while? That sounds kinda tedious…"

"One does not reach anything worth while in life if one does not take risk. Besides, it has always been in your nature to always try out new things, my student."

"My nature? You mean _Terra's_ nature."

"I suppose."

"Well, let me reiterate, I am _not_ Terra, I'm something else."

"Nevertheless, you've made it quite clear that you two share the same nature."

"You mean we share the same weakness. Terra always kept trying out new things but at the same time she also made plenty of lousy mistakes through it. I'm told that the real Terra, back in Jump City, lost her memory and her powers. And you know what, I think she wanted it that way. I think she asked for her powers and her memory to be erased. She didn't want to hurt anymore people or make any more mistakes. And you know what else, I'd probably do the same thing if I had the chance."

"You say she has made mistakes, and you're probably right. But that is not all that she earned."

"What do you mean, Master?"

"She has earned friends that care for her as much as she cares about them. Do you think she is no longer welcomed in the company of her old friends? I wouldn't think so. In the midst of her errors she has earned things that are infinitely better. You have the same potential, my dear student."

"You mean the same potential to make mistakes…"

"No. you have the potential to earn just as much if not even more. You may make a few mistakes every once in a while but those are unavoidable. The best we can do is learning from those mistakes."

"…did Terra learn from her mistakes?"

"I suppose so if we follow your theory. You say Terra willingly gave up her powers because she felt so guilty of all the damaged she may have done. She may have also chosen to give up her feelings for her friends in order to distance herself from them. So that her friends may never again experience the pain of her betrayal."

"I doubt loosing my powers and my memory are an option at the moment."

"Why? You have not done anything to merit such self-punishment."

"No, but I might. You say I have the same potential as the real Terra. Well that also means I can make the same mistakes, hurt the people I care about. What will stop me from simply repeating history?"

"Was it not you yourself who said that you were not the real thing? That you were someone else?"

"…"

"In the essential terms you are the Terra you say you're not."

"How do you figure that?"

"A rock is formed from the earth. When the rock is dug up and separated from the earth it is still the earth in nature."

"Then how am I someone else if I'm her by nature, Master?"

"You and the real Terra are living two separate lives. That should be very clear to you by now. Your destinies are completely different. Her future is not your future. You now have the choice to pave your own path in life. You need not follow a path that has already been laid."

"…Is that really my fate?"

"I know your fears, young lady. You are uncertain, unsure of your future. Afraid of the mistakes you might make. But ask yourself: is it better to simply stay as you are rather than not try out the possibilities? You've always been one to try out new things."

Terra was silent. She was now back in deep thought. Among the things she was thinking about, she looked at her current situation. She looked at the few days she spent with the Titans East. Those were the only genuine days she was sure of, the times she spent with her friends.

Friends. For the last several hours, that word didn't seem to exist in her mind. Only now did she start to think about them. The way they treated her like she was genuinely one of them. The way they offered her to be part of the team. The way they tried to rescue her when she was kidnapped. The way Speedy and the others tried to help her even when she herself lost all hope.

They found something in her worth living for. Something she was blind to at the time. She thought about actually trying to see for herself what they saw in her that was so worth while. If there ever was anything to find, maybe it would be enough to give her resolve.

As she was thinking, a cold breeze blew against them. Terra then realized how late it must've been already. Chu-hui was the first to voice it out.

"The hour is later than I anticipated…" said the True Master.

Terra spoke up. "Wanna come by the tower?"

Chu-hui looked at her student inquisitively.

Terra continued. "I'm sure it'll be a lot warmer there. We also have a garden on the ninth floor. I could make you some tea if you want. And I'm sure the other guys might like to talk to you. Don't worry about them, they're a pretty interesting bunch albeit a little noisy, but--"

"Why thank you, my dear," said the True Master, "I'd love to visit…"

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Inside the GeoHammer facility under False Vulcan.

Bumble Bee, Aqualad, Más and Menos were held in some kind of holding cell. The walls of their rather spacious cell were bare and covered with yellow metallic panels. Typical HIVE fashion in interior design. They were all seated on the floor with nothing to do. They couldn't do anything even if they wanted to anyway. A closer inspection of the Titans would show that they had special, high-tech looking handcuffs on their wrist.

Bumble Bee had already explained to the team what those specialized handcuffs were. They were another thing she remembered from her old HIVE Academy days. The cuffs were designed to suppress the wearers meta-human abilities; wear the cuffs and one looses their superpowers. In the old HIVE Academy these were essentially used as disciplinary tools when a couple of superpowered students became a bit unruly.

Because of these cuffs, the Titans found themselves helpless. All they were able to do was worry. Worry about what was going to happen to them now that they've been captured. But more particularly, worry about how Speedy ended up. They all saw him took a nasty fall. They worried if he'd survived and if he did how serious were his injuries.

It drove Aqualad nuts. "Dammit!"

Aqualad stood up and kicked the wall making a loud thump echo throughout the room.

"How did this happen to us?" he continued, "We're smarter that this!"

"Aparentemente no lo somos," said the twins.

Bumble Bee gave an exasperating sigh. "I'm more worried about Speedy right now."

"Esperamos que esté bien. Parece eso es la única esperanza que hemos conseguido."

"What's gonna happen now?" asked Aqualad to no-one in particular.

As if to answer the Atlantean's inquiry, a hidden door in the far wall slid open with a mechanical hiss. A single wasp soldier walked in. The Titans noticed him and immediately glared. The wasp soldier didn't seem bothered.

"Follow me," ordered the soldier, "the boss wants to see you…"

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Minute later.

The Titans were lead by an armed escort of wasp soldiers down the cavernous facility of the GeoHammer. It took them a while for them to reach their destination. The soldiers lead the Titans to a giant pair of doors. The soldiers simply told the Titans to step up to the door and wait. The soldiers simply stood back in the hallway making sure the teen can't escape.

A few short moments later, the doors opened up. It revealed a pretty elaborate control room. The Titans were ordered by the wasp soldiers to enter the control room. The Titans did so hesitantly. Once inside, the Titans got a good look at the workings of the control room.

It was a pretty wide space with a tall ceiling. The walls were plain yellow-painted metal panels. They stood on a slightly elevated floor that connected directly to the doorway and rose five feet off the lower floor. The elevated floor had a stairs throughout its perimeter (except for the wall with the doorway). On the three sides of the lower floor, other than the doorway, was an array of computer terminals. Where several men were typing away.

"Quite the set-up, wouldn't you say?"

The Titans turned their heads towards the source of the voice. The looked towards the door way. There stood Brother Blood clad in his red and black cybernetic armor. He was grinning the grin of a man who knew he had everything just the way he wanted it. It wasn't any comforting to the Titans any.

"¡Es ti!" exclaimed the twins.

"Brother Blood," said Bumble Bee, "We were wondering where you disappeared to some five weeks ago. We should've known you'd be up to somethin' like this."

"Yes, quite the achievement, even if I do say so myself," said Brother Blood, "It took nearly all of my remnant sources to finish construction of this facility in such a short time. Of course I did have the best of what technology had to offer and I had more than adamant help from my new partner, Professor Chang. But of course you can't expect not to have a few…mishaps every now and then."

Aqualad grinned, knowing what Blood was talking about. "Oh, we're happy to oblige."

"Yes, I'm sure you are"

Blood reached into his pocket and pulled a small remote control devise. He pushed a button on it. Instantly, out of the middle of the elevated floor, a high-tech looking chair rose out of a trap door. The chair had small computer terminals on its armrests for personal use and it was also on a revolving base. Brother Blood walked up to it, past the Titans, and took a seat.

He pushed a couple of buttons on the terminal that was attached to the armrest. Suddenly, the yell-painted metal panels that made up the three walls started to slide down. The panels started to reveal that there was a clear glass window behind them. Looking up, it was also noticeable that the panel that made up the ciling was also receding. After the panels have completely disappeared, all that was left was the glass windows that made three-quarters of the perimeter and the roof of the control room.

The Titans looked beyond the glass to see an awesome sight. He large control room they were in was completely over looking a gigantic man-made cavern. The cavern was huge. Below were several platforms where many wasp soldiers, drones, and even a stonecutter where feverishly working on the final construction details.

The Titans looked up. The most prominent thing in the entire scenery was a gigantic needle that was sticking out of the roof and pointed down. It was glowing gold in many areas but none more prominent than the tip of the needle that was so bright it gave the entire space a golden hue.

"Behold," said Brother Blood, turning his chair to face the Titans, "the GeoHammer…"

"Nifty little toy you've got," said Aqualad sarcastically.

"Go ahead and mock it if you want. You have no Idea of this weapons true power."

"What is it?" inquired Bumble Bee, "What does it do?"

"It the strictest way of saying it, it controls the earth," replied Brother Blood, "This device can transmit terrakinetic energy frequencies that will allow me to manipulate geological events as I see fit."

Upon hearing this, Aqualad's eye's widened with realization. "Wait a minute! This is what you guys used Terra for?"

Brother Blood looked back at him with a slight grin. "My, how perceptive of you, Aqualad. Yes, this was the intended purpose of the clone. I believe me colleague, Professor Chang, has already explained it to you to a certain degree."

"¡Ti bastardos!" exclaimed the twins.

"I don't particularly understand what you just said, but I'll take as a compliment nonetheless."

Aqualad was getting mad. "After doing that to Terra, how can you sit back just like that?"

"How do you expect me to react. The girl has served her purpose and I no longer have any use for her. Although I suppose she would have made quite a student once I get my new HIVE Academy up and running again."

Aqualad fumed, "I'm gonna rip your head off and shove it back up you're a--!"

"As much as I'd like to continue this chat, I'm afraid that there are more urgent business I have to attend to. I've already given you the privilege of living to see my moment of triumph. I suggest you simply stand there and be good little children."

"What's your game, Blood?" asked Bumble Bee, "This is just one of your 'take over the world' schemes again isn't it? Can't you be more original than that."

"Oh come now Bumble Bee, do you think I'm that simple? No, of course not. The applications of the GeoHammer go beyond just being a super weapon. I have designs for it to wipe the world as we know it. Every little unwanted speck on this planet will be wiped out."

"What!"

"I need a clean slate to start over from of course. And once GeoHammer has completed its initial task, I can always use it to hold power over whatever is left of this world. Then I can remold this earth into what ever I desire. You see Bumble Bee, I don't just want to take over the world. I want to remake it altogether."

"And you're gonna wipe out millions of lives just for that?" asked Aqualad.

"What? do you want me to actually care about those people?"

"¡Tú eres bastardo realmente!" exclaimed the twins.

"You're nothing but a heartless murdering bastard!" exclaimed Bumble Bee.

"You may call what you might. But this is simply the balance of nature. All that I am doing is restoring the lost balance in this world through the GeoHammer."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You should know the founding principles of the HIVE Academy, Bumble Bee, even if you were just a spy. There are only two categories of people in this world: Those who hold power and those who have none. In the eternal game of life and death, only the strong, the powerful, can survive. It's the most basic law: survival of the fittest. Those without power can only serve those who do. That is true balance. But this world has lost that vital balance. The weak and unworthy are the ones in control of society. I plan to change that, to restore balance to nature."

"Your insane!"

"You are the ones who are not doing the right thing by refusing to join forces with me. Like me, you all have true power. You are above those who you claim to protect. You only contribute to the imbalance of power in this world. Thus I am forced to remove you from the equation."

Blood spun his chair around so that he had his back to the Titans. He pressed a few more buttons on his personal terminal attached to the armrest. Soon, a gigantic screen slid down from the glass window facing Brother Blood. It flickered to life. It showed an image of a very familiar structure to the Titans East. They instantly became nervous when they saw the image on the giant computer screen.

"Now you'll see, "said Brother Blood, "the true power of the GeoHammer…"

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On the rocky crags outside Titans Tower: East.

Terra and Chu-hui were just arriving near the entrance of the tower. They took a few minutes to walk all the way from where they sat at the beach to get back at the tower, in Terra's case at least. Terra and the True Master were chatting the whole time.

Terra kept her feeling hidden as best she could. In truth she felt quite comfortable around the old woman. Technically speaking, they only met for the first time just a short time ago but Terra felt like she'd known the old woman for years. That would easily be explained by the fact that she actually shared all the memories of the original Terra.

Terra knew from those memories what kind of a person Chu-hui actually is. She was a teacher, above all else. Chu-hui took pleasure in teaching all important lessons in life which Terra had always been willing to take in. Though she could be a little senile at times, Terra knew that the True Master had a heart of gold.

A couple of minutes past and the two were already in sight of the door into the tower. Terra looked to check. She saw more than she would've asked for. Lying on the ground was a body of a young man, unconscious from the looks of it. Terra and Chu-hui looked worriedly at each other. Terra started walking a bit faster to get a better look at he young man. She recognized him.

"Speedy!" exclaimed Terra.

She then ran to his fallen form. She knelt close to the ground and examined Speedy's body. He was on his back so that Terra could see his face. It had some bad cuts and scratches on it. She looked at his costume and saw some patches of it were torn off and that it was a lot dirtier than usual. Terra could only imagine what had happened to him but she tried to ask anyway.

"Speedy, can you hear me?" asked the blonde girl, "What happened to you? Where are the others?"

She didn't get an answer. She looked a bit more closely to his face and found out that he was unconscious. Terra grabbed onto Speedy's shoulders and shock him a little to check his responsiveness. No response. Terra then took two fingers and planted them up against the vein on Speedy's neck to check for a pulse. At the same time, she put her cheek close to his nose to feel if he was breathing. He had a pulse and was breathing normally albeit a little weak.

Terra concluded that Speedy was just in knocked-out but from what, she can't really tell. Chu-hui walked up to the boy herself and gave a closer look. Terra looked up at her inquisitively.

"He's got a pulse and he's breathing is a little weak," said Terra, "I don't know what could've happened to him."

"I think he's just exhausted," said the True Master, "He has the looks of a man who just survived a great battle."

"Battle? Did the Titans go out without telling me?"

Sudden realization kicked into Terra. She remembered all that business with the GeoHammer, Blood and Chang's newly built superweapon. The Titans must've received a lead from that captured henchman and went to check it out. She was too preoccupied with her own issues to take notice. Terra mentally beat herself up for being such a jerk that she thought she was.

Suddenly, Speedy started mumbling. "Mmmm…uhhhgh… ahh…"

This immediately caught Terra's attention. "Speedy! Are you alright?"

"Ugh… the others… captured… gotta…help them… ughh…"

Speedy fell out of consciousness once again. Terra took careful note of the few words that Speedy mentioned. The other's have been captured. That brought on a mix of relief and worry to Terra. This meant that the rest of the team were still alive, but it also meant that only gods know what's in store for them and Terra didn't want to think about it.

"Poor boy has no strength left," said Chu-hui, "He needs time to recover, regain his strength before he can do much of anything."

"I'll take him to the medical ward," said Terra, "He can rest there and maybe I'll be able to patch up some of his woun--"

A sudden quake that rattled the island interrupted Terra's speech. The tow women were nearly knocked off there feet. They found their bearings fine enough and remained attending as the whole island continued to shake beneath them. Speedy continued to slumber.

"There is something very wrong…" said Chu-hui.

"I'll check it out!" declared Terra.

She soon summoned a rock from the ground to float in mid-air. She hopped onto the rock and held on tight. The rock shot up into the air. A few moments later, the rock with Terra on it rose above the tower itself. Terra then started to look over the landscape to see if she could find the source of the problem.

She looked as hard as she can but she never saw the source of the quakes but instead she got a full grasp of the problem. From the height she was on, she could see it all clearly. It filled her with dread.

"Oh, my god…" she said, " The island… it's sinking."

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Author's note: Cliffhanger! Woot!… okay, that was unnecessary. If this plot seems to resemble a particular episode from the show a bit, it's only because it's intentional. Check out my next updates to get the full story. Pls. Read and Review!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah… yaddah, yaddah, yaddah…dribble, dribble, dribble…

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In the GeoHammer control room.

The Titans and Brother Blood were all staring up at the giant computer screen that showed a picture of Titans Tower: East. The Titans were staring up at the image with dread on their faces while Brother Blood had an expression of utter glee. For the Titans it was a moment of demise while for Blood it was victory assured.

"Sir, positive impact on target confirmed," said a nearby technician on a terminal.

"Excellent…" replied Brother Blood.

From the control room's monitor, the scene unfolded with dramatic clarity for all the Titans to see. The image on the screen showed the island slowly lowering itself into the depths of the ocean. Waves of seawater splash against the island violently due to unusual and abnormal geological events.

Soon the entire rocky crag on which the island stood on was completely submerged in water. The tower itself began to touch the surface of the water. From the looks of things then, it seemed that the whole of Titans Tower: East, the last line of defense for Steel City, would be lost to the ocean in a matter of minutes. When the tower was halfway down into the water, the image on the monitor suddenly disappeared.

The Titans, taken aback by the loss of visuals, looked down towards Brother Blood who had a finger on a button on his armrest terminal. They stared at him from behind a little bewildered. Brother Blood took his finger off the button and slowly spun his chair around to meet the Titans face to face. He had a smug look on his face that each and every one of the Titans just wanted to slap off.

"I think that's enough for today, Children," said Brother Blood.

"I will have your head for this!" exclaimed Aqualad.

"I'm afraid that I must be left undisturbed now. You have already seen that the trial run was successful. Now I must move to the real targets."

"Trial run?"

"I'm a scientist first and foremost, my boy. When I build something, I make sure it works."

"So what're you gonna do now, huh?" inquired Bumble Bee.

"Now that I know," said Blood, "that the GeoHammer will live up to its standard. I can move on to the real targets. What you saw was just a tiny fraction of the GeoHammer's power. Once all the power generators have been fully charged, nations will sink to the depths of the earth allowing me to build it anew."

"¡No te dejaremos get con esto!" exclaimed the twins.

"If you'll excuse me I have to attend to more pressing matters now. I'll deal with you four a bit later. Sergeant?"

The door to the control room opened and the same wasp soldier from before. He again ordered the Titans to follow him and the same squad of soldiers began to escort them back to their holding cell. The Titans were powerless to do anything. Brother Blood watched as they all disappeared behind the closing door. He took careful note of the contempt on each of the Titans faces as the left.

When the Titans were gone he turned around his chair so that he was facing the monitor again. He started giving out orders to his subordinates on the computer terminals below him. He told them to start charging the main generators in preparation for their main strike on the surface. Brother Blood couldn't help but smile sinisterly.

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At the sinking Titans Tower: East.

Terra, Chu-hui, and the still unconscious Speedy were all gathered in the main room of the tower. Speey was laid on the couch to rest. Chu-hui was standing next to the couch watching over Terra who at the widow looking down. The water level was steadily rising as it reached halfway up the tower. Throughout the whole time, the shaking never stopped.

Terra was obviously getting more and more worried at the rising water level. If that kept up at it's the rate it was going, the whole tower would be sunk completely in less than ten minutes. Terra dreaded the thought of loosing the tower while having the rest of the Titans captured and/or unconscious. They couldn't afford it. The world couldn't afford it.

Something had to be done. But what? Terra wracked her brain for any solution but she was never really the brainy one in any team she ever joined. She then noticed Chu-hui walking up to her.

"What are we gonna do now?" asked Terra.

"This tower must be saved," said Chu-hui, "It is your friends' home after all."

"Yeah, but how?"

"You can do it, my student."

Terra was taken aback. "What?"

"Right now only you have the power to save this place. You must do it for all our sakes."

"But, I can't do this!… can't I?"

"You can and you must!"

"But I…"

"If you won't then who will. I know that you have more than enough power to fulfill this one objective. Do not underestimate yourself, young lady."

Terra was silent and contemplating. In the distance, sounds of plates and glasses breaking could be heard as they were shaken off the kitchen counter top. Alarms and sirens were going off everywhere around them. The Tower was reaching a critical state.

"I… don't know if I can."

"Would you rather go on living knowing you didn't even try? You may not have much faith in yourself but at the moment the faith of your friend are with you and they believe that you are competent enough to do the right thing. Will you simply abandon their faith? "

Terra looked at the True Master. Chu-hui's eyes seemed to give confidence to her. Terra simply stood there for a while before she finally looked up at Speedy. He was unconscious on the couch, unable to get up due to his injuries. She began to remember all the time she spent with him and the rest of the Titans.

After that, she had already made up her mind.

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Moments later, at the rooftop.

The rooftop door opened up. Terra rushed out the door onto the shaking roof. She immediately ran to the edge of the roof to check the water level. It was already two-thirds of the way up the tower which alarmed Terra a great deal. She walked backwards towards the center of the rooftop.

When she reached the center, Terra stood still. She breathed in and out as if trying to give herself a little relief from all the tension surrounding her. She was this tower's only hope of surviving. That wasn't exactly a light load to carry. She had to relax, to focus.

After deciding she was as relaxed and focus as she would ever be at that point, Terra got to work. She stood on spread legs ands stretched out her arms wide. She closed her eyes and concentrated. A while later her body started glowing a golden hue.

As if a gigantic tether from the sky suddenly lassoed itself around the huge structure, the tower immediately stopped sinking. The gradual lowering of the tower into the ocean depths came to a very abrupt halt. But that's all that happened at that point. The Tower didn't sink or rise any. Terra looked as if she was struggling.

The quaking of the tower never stopped but seemed to intensify under Terra's efforts. Terra showed her teeth and grinded them against each other while trying to keep the tower from sinking further. Below, the waves continue their unrelenting bombardment on the tower's outside walls. Then, all of a sudden, Terra yelled out then fell to her knees.

"Aaargh!"

Almost as soon as she did so, the tower started to sink once again. If anyone would be able to see, they would be able to tell that Terra had a saddened face that was staring down.

"I… can't do it…" she said.

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Back in the main room.

Chu-hui was watching over Speedy's sleeping figure on the couch when she noticed the tower start sinking again into the ocean. Looking up into the far wall, a strange shadow caught her attention. Looking behind her towards the window, she saw the source of the shadow.

The water has risen to the level of the main room. Chu-hui watched as waves of water started beating on the window in front of her. The water level rose halfway up the window in front of her and Chu-hui swore she saw a school of anchovies swim pass by.

By now she knew the situation was critical. She looked up to the ceiling but seemed to be looking beyond it. It was as if she was looking at her student above her.

"Don't give up," she said, "you can do this. Your friends believe in you and so should you…"

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Up at the roof.

As if hearing the old woman speaking right in front of her, Terra looked back up. With renewed vigor she got back on two legs a little shakily though. She steadied herself and prepared to give it another go.

"I can't give up," she said, "not yet, not after all they've done for me."

She spread he arms out wide. A moment later her entire body began to glow a bright golden hue once again. Almost instantly, the tower stopped sinking and remained in place.

"This is for the Titans," said Terra, "if not for me… rrrgh!"

Suddenly at that point, the tower actually raised up from the ocean. Slowly but surely the tower of the Titans East began to rise up from the depths of the deep blue. Terra was actually doing it all by herself. But her moment of victory was short lived.

Halfway up, the tower slowly came to a halt in its accent. Terra on the roof fell on one knee but managed to keep both her arms outstretched. The tower again had stopped, neither sinking nor rising. Terra was loosing precious energy, mainly because she lost most of it in the night before with Professor Chang's little experiment. She has yet to fully recover them and she simply could not muster enough to lift the entire structure on her own. She wished Raven was here.

"It's no good, " she said, "My powers are almost drained. I need more…"

As Terra tried o concentrate harder, she accidentally tapped into another power source down below her through her own powers. She immediately identified it as the force that was pulling the tower down against her. A moment later she realized something else was familiar. The force that was pulling the tower down was her own power. But she wasn't the one where it was coming from.

Eventually she realized what it was and where the power had come from. Brother Blood and Professor Chang. This has to be their doing, there was no other explanation. Terra now realized the awful truth that should have been clear to her all along.

This was the reason those two maniacs cloned Terra to steal away her powers. To make a weapon with control over earthen elements. Only now did she understand fully the whole situation of this drama that has played out for the past few days. And she was feeling the blunt of everything that came to pass at that very moment when her powers were being used against her.

Predictably enough, that struck a sour cord in Terra's mind.

"I won't let anyone…" said Terra, "…use my powers… for evil again…rrrrrgggghh!"

Terra just got her much needed extra boost. She tapped directly to the force that was pulling the tower down. Seeing as it was her power to begin with, she took it back and used it for herself. She was able to convert the power that was pulling down on the tower to part of her own in pulling it back up.. And the tower did go up.

The tower was now finally, steadily, rising up out of the ocean. Soon all the floors of the tower became visible once again. Moments later the craggy rock island that made up the base of the tower finally resurfaced. The tower was back up on its proper position but Terra's work wasn't done yet. She focused on the rocks below the water.

Because of all the unnatural activity, the bedrock was pretty messed up. All the dislocated earth made the tower's foundation extremely unstable. Terra focused her powers on putting back together the tower's underwater foundation. Below the water, rocks, glowing gold, began to pile up and compact themselves. The rock hardened with all that compression and the tower's base was finally stable.

Terra's job was done at last. Up on the roof, Terra allowed herself to fall on her butt then on her back. She was exhausted and understandably so. It was rare that she exert as much of her power as she did. She thought to herself how lucky she was she wasn't wearing one of Slade's high-tech neuro-link suits. If she had, the backlash caused by the suit might have turned her into stone.

She laid there on the cool rooftop gravel panting to catch her breath. A while passed by until the door to the roof opened up to reveal the True Master, Chu-hui. The old woman walked towards where Terra was lying down. The blonde girl barely registered the old woman's presence. She was too tired to do so. Chu-hui sat down next to her student.

"You've done well," said the True Master.

"…yeah… what about Speedy?"

"The boy is fine. He should wake up soon once he gets enough rest."

"So… what happens now?"

"I have already told you, young lady, that we are the ones who write our own story. We decided where it will go. What happens now is completely up to you."

Terra was silent for a while before she spoke up again. She simply looked up at star-filled night sky, appreciating their beauty and what a peaceful sight it was. She remembered how she enjoyed spending cool nights just staring up at the clear night sky. She loved it even more when she spent those nights with friends. It was that last thought that finally solidified her resolve and then she made her decision.

"…I'm going after them," said Terra, "I'm gonna go rescue my friends…"

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In the holding cell, inside the GeoHammer facility.

Bumble Bee was seated on the floor on a lotus position staying calm. Más and Menos were seated back-to-back, leaning against each other with solemn faces. Aqualad was pacing back and forth across room at a brisk pace. They were all still handcuffed and unable to use their powers. Completely helpless.

Other than the fact that they were imprisoned and couldn't do anything about it, another issue that was eating at them was when they saw that image on the control room screen, where they saw their tower slowly sinking into the ocean. Blood was even nice enough to show them only half of the footage letting them imagine in their own how their home sank to the depths. They were understandably frustrated, some more than others.

"Dammit!" exclaimed Aqualad, kicking the wall, "I cannot believe this is happening!"

"Tampoco poder nosotros," said the twins, "pero no hay nada que nadie puede hacer sobre él ."

"You're gonna have to settle down, Aqualad," said Bumble Bee, "Complaining about the way things are is not gonna help anybody."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Aqualad.

"At the moment, none. But that doesn't mean we can give up hope just yet."

"Es correcto," said Más.

"No debemos soltar la esperanza o más todo es perdido," said Menos.

"Speedy is still out there somewhere," continued Bumble Bee, "It may have looked like he took a really nasty fall, but we all know he's a lot tougher than that. I'm sure he survived. Plus there is someone else…"

"You mean Terra?" asked Aqualad.

"Yes, Terra."

"Bee, not that I want to be pessimistic, I don't think it'll be that easy, just hoping for Terra and Speedy to come rescue us. I mean I want them to come and I believe in them. But we all know how Terra was the last time we saw her. She wasn't exactly in the best mood, not after that whole "I'm a clone" issue was brought up."

"Maybe but there is more to this than that. More to her than what we may think."

"¿Qué estás diciendo tú?" inquired the twins.

"Terra will see that she is the only hope this world has. And I know she'll act on it. She has to."

"Is it really that easy," asked Aqualad, "to assume that Terra will step-up to something that big after what she's been through?"

"She's been there before. At least the real Terra has. But, clone or not, I know what think is real. Our Terra is definitely real and so is her resolve and determination. She has what it takes to save us and the world. I know that she'll do the right thing…"

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Back at the tower, in Terra's room.

She was seated on the bed, resting her legs. Even though her Master told her to get some shut-eye Terra was unable to put herself to sleep, not after all that had just happened. Chu-hui had volunteered to look after Speedy in the main room. Terra was left alone with her thoughts.

During her time alone, which had probably been half-an-hour by then, she had a lot to think about. About the conversation she and Speedy had. About the conversation she had with her Master who happened to show up rather unexpectedly. She thought about this whole 'clone' business and what her true identity really is.

After doing a lot of thinking, she got up and went to her desk drawer and took out a large pair of scissors. She held up the scissors on her hand and took a good look, inspecting the blades. She opened up the blades of the scissors and inspected them more closely by feeling them with her thumb. She could tell they were nice and sharp.

With scissors in hand, she made her way out of her room and into the nearest bathroom. She entered the bathroom that was right down the hall from where her room is. She stood in front of the sink and stared directly into the mirror and at her reflection. She stared long and hard as if trying to solidify a memory of something that was about to be gone.

She took a deep sigh. She looked at the scissors in her hand one last time before finally making up her mind. She calmed herself down as best she could in preparation of what she was about to do. She stared back up at the mirror one last time. Then she closed her eyes shut.

She brought her both her hands up, one of which carried the scissors. She put both her hand in the proper position, relying only on her sense of touch. She was able to feel the sharp blade touching her skin. Once she was satisfied with the placement of her hands and that the scissors were ready. She took a deep breath.

Slaaaaaaasssshhhh… 

A long moment of silence followed.

She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. She smiled.

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Back in the main room.

Speedy, who was still on the couch was groggily waking up. "Uuughh… my head…"

His vision was blurry and his head was aching. Thankfully though, most of the soreness his body has endured for the past few hours seemed to have gone away. He sat up in a sitting position to get more comfortable. He put a hand to his head to try and subside the aching.

"Man, I need an aspirin…" said Speedy.

"Here you go."

An aged pair of hands, one holding out two aspirins while the other holding a glass of water, were held up to Speedy's face.

"Oh, thank you," said Speedy.

He took the aspirins, popped them in his mouth and swallowed. He then took the glass of water and began to drink it down. Halfway through his drink, realization shot through Speedy's head like one of his own arrows as he looked down and saw an old woman in a pink dress, blue jacket, sandals, and a derby hat supporting herself with a wooden cane.

Immediately, Speedy eyes went as wide as diner plates and he choked on his drink of water and spitted nearly all of it back into the glass he was drinking it from. He put down the glass on a nearby coffee table. He beat on his chest to get rid of that choking feeling. After catching his breath, he looked back down on the old woman who was smiling back at him.

"W-Who are you?" inquired Speedy.

"Me? I'm just an old woman who's visiting a student of mine…" said Chu-hui rather cheerfully.

"B-But how did you get in here?"

"Same way you did. Through the door."

"Do we even know each other? I mean you don't look familiar at all? Are you someone I met at a previous life or something?"

Chu-hui looked strangely at Speedy. "Calm down, my boy. I'm only here because I was invited."

"So, you know us?"

"Well, I know one of you, but I think you have figured it out by now that you're not that one…"

"Well, I know I don't know you. And I know that you don't know me. But I don't know if you know any of the others and I also don't know if any of the others know you. But I know you said the one who knows you is also the person you know and I know that person invited you is the person you know and who knows you back. So, since I don't know you, you can't know me and since you don't know me It wasn't me who invited you in since I don't know you. And you don't know the others because they don't know you enough to invite you in since they're all captured. So knowing that you don't know me and you don't know any of the others, I now know--"

Chu-hui simply stared at him.

"--that the only person who you know and has invited you 'cause they know you has to be someone who was not captured. But I know I was not captured and you and I don't know each other so I know that person who knows you isn't me. And I also know that the only other possibility left, who was not captured, not me, and could possibly know you enough to invite you is… (insert drum roll here)… Terra! Yes I'm a genius!"

"You brilliance is blinding…" said the True Master in the most sarcastic tone.

"I know!…" said Speedy, "…wait... Terra! Where is she? I have to go talk to her!"

Speedy shot up off the couch and was about to dash right out the door but an aged hand grabbed hold of his wrist and stopped him. Speedy looked down to see the old woman holding him back as well as giving him a stern look as if ordering him sit back down.

"Don't worry, my boy, the girl is fine. She only needs a little time to rest. She will need it."

"But--"

"She has made her decision to try and rescue her friends from where they are. She believes this is the right thing to do and so do I. But, as powerful as she is, she'll still need help. You may have recovered most of you energy since you gave your injuries a chance to heal by resting up a bit. But I believe that you should save that energy for the both of you. You can make yourself useful now by formulating a plan."

Speedy didn't respond right away. He thought about what the old woman said. He found that he couldn't argue with any of the points she made.

"Alright," he said.

He walked to the main computer and took a seat. He turned the contraption on and began typing. Speedy looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. After a while of inputting some commands, a digital map of the general area appeared. A moment later it zoomed in on a particular spot on the mountains. Four blinking dots started to appear, one of which seemed to be moving back and forth.

"Yes!" exclaimed Speedy, "good 'ol Bumble Bee, always prepared."

Chu-hui walked up to Speedy. "What is this showing?"

"Oh this? Well, Bumble Bee was always worried when some of the team would go missing by whatever circumstance. To ensure that we'd always have a way to locate each other, she installed micro transmitters in our costumes that only the Titans' computer is able to detect. What were seeing now is their exact location on the map and by the looks of things it seems they're alright."

"Then we've still got a chance."

That came from the door, in a voice both Speedy and the old woman were familiar with.

"Terra!" exclaimed Speedy as he got up to look at the source of the voice, "I'm glad you're alright! You sure had me worried there for a sec--"

Speedy was cut short of his speech by what he saw. It was Terra but at the same time it was not. He couldn't help but stare. Chu-hui also looked but unlike Speedy the True Master gave a satisfied smile at what she saw.

The girl who just entered the room stood in the middle of the room. Starting from below, she wore heavy-looking, industrial black boots. Above those, she wore thick. yet snug, black cargo pants that had a bright yellow stripe that ran on the side of each leg. It was held onto her waist by a utility belt. For her top, she wore a tight-fitting, short-sleeved jacket colored in black and yellow. The sleeves, shoulders, and the turtleneck collar were black while the rest of the jacket was bright yellow. Her hands had a fingerless glove each. Hanging around her neck were a pair of googles.

But the most noticeable feature on the girl was not her new clothes. What really got the attention of the two people in front of the main computer was her hair… or lack thereof. Where one who was familiar with the girl would expect to find long, waist-length, blonde hair, there was none. Her hair was cut short so that it would only reach her neck.

"What?" inquired the short-haired blonde, "is there something on my face?"

Speedy realized he was staring. "Oh! Um no… nothing at all, but… What happened to you?"

The girl took a deep breath. "I've done a lot of thinking. I thought about what you said, Speedy and I took a good look at myself while doing it. I've decided that I want to help you guys. But I don't want to do it as some one I know I'm not. So I'm still gonna help you guys, but I won't be doing it as 'Terra'…"

A moment of silence followed where nobody moved.

"I understand," Speedy spoke up, grabbing the girl's attention and walking up to her, "Somehow I expected you to pull something like this. And to tell you the truth, I've got no objections."

"Thanks, Speedy," she said, "you think the new look is good?"

"I think it's just great. So if you're not 'Terra' then who are you?"

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment before she spoke.

"From here on out…" she said, "the name is… Silicis"

"Silicis?… Okay then," Speedy held out a hand, "Welcome aboard!"

Silicis smiled and eagerly took Speedy's awaiting hand. Silicis then looked down towards Chu-hui then back up at Speedy.

"So I guess you two know each other now," said Silicis.

"Yeah, and a good thing to," said Speedy, "You see, now that I know her it also means she now knows me and because we both know each other, I could now--"

"Oh, don't you dare start that again!" exclaimed the True Master.

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Author's note: Pleas take note of the name change since I'll be using her new name for the rest of this fic and any future fics that would feature Terr—er I mean Silicis. As usual: Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Send them all!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

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Inside Speedy's room.

Anyone who would come in at that moment would immediately have found themselves drowned in a wave of heavy metal rock 'n roll. The source of the sound was coming from a hi-tech looking stereo system with huge, surround sound speakers. While most would find the volume of the music quite deafening, the room's tenant, Speedy, didn't seem to mind at all.

Speedy was standing next to his closet, putting on a new vest in place of the old one that was almost completely ruined in his last battle. He reached in to his closet again and took out a new mask which he quickly put over his bare eyes. He closed the closet door, and stared at the full length mirror that was attached to the closet door. He seemed satisfied at the sight of a fresh new costume.

He walked towards another part of the room. On the wall adjacent to the closet was another door. Speedy slid it open. Inside was a small space that Speedy used to organize his personal arsenal of bows and arrows. Bows hung on pegs attached to the wall and a set of quivers, already filled with arrows, were sitting on the floor. But that was just one side of the space.

On another side of the space, standing vertically, was a heavy looking steel case and another quiver filled with arrows. The quiver seemed color-coded since unlike the other quivers which were plane yellow, this one had a large red stripe running from the top right to the bottom left side. Speedy smiled at the special-looking quiver then took it at slung it onto his back securely.

He then looked at the tough-looking steel case then grabbed it. He took it to his desk next to the weapons closet. He unlocked it then opened it. Upon looking inside, most would assume that it was just random junk, but Speedy knew better. He picked up the pieces and began putting it together like a Lego kit. Each part seemed to fit perfectly with corresponding parts.

Once a single solid piece was made, which looked like a long curving contraption with two small pulleys on the ends, Speedy took the final piece from the steel case which was a small box. He opened the box and took out a long piece of a special-looking wire. He expertly weaved it around the pulleys of the curving contraption. When he was done he raised the thing to the light to admire the finished product. Speedy held up a high-tech compound bow.

Speedy seemed very satisfied with his personal handiwork. Now that his body was fully recovered and he's rearmed himself, he was ready for whatever would come next. Luckily that has already been decided upon by Silicis, and Speedy was thankful for her decision .

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In the Zen garden.

She may not know much about meditation but Silicis did know one way of getting a rise in her body's inner energy. Silicis was in the middle of the sand, performing a myriad of graceful, yet striking martial arts moves into thin air. As if combating an invisible enemy, she threw her arms and her legs outwards in a beautifully choreographed manner as if it was a dance.

The expression on her face was that of pure focus and calm. One would think that she's been doing this for years. And in a sense she has but that wasn't exactly a technicality. Her moves mostly consisted of some jabs, hooks and an occasional chop with an open hand. Every one in a while she'd also show some fancy kicks and spins.

Behind Silicis, seated on a rock in the lotus position, Chu-hui, the True Master, watched her new student intently with a carefully analyzing eye. She took careful note of how she moved, when she moved, and how focused she seemed when moving. She smiled satisfyingly.

"You are doing very well," said the True Master, "Channel your energy, move with a flow. I'm glad to see that you haven't forgotten your training."

Silicis chuckled a bit while continuing on with her exercises. "Well Master, technically speaking, I've never had any training and that this is the first time I'm performing these exercises."

"It doesn't matter where your memory comes from. Just as long as you know how."

"Hmm, I was kinda expecting you to say something a little more profound than that, being the "True Master" and all that."

Chu-hui looked slightly annoyed. "You are much worse than the boy with the spiky hair. You have plenty more to learn."

"Can I interest you in teaching me then?"

"What do you mean by that, young lady?"

Silicis stopped in her exercises and stood straight. She turned to look at Chu-hui directly. Chu-hui looked at Silicis inquiringly whereas Silicis had an expression of a person that was asking for something. Silicis took a deep breath before stating her request.

"I'd like to complete my training," she said.

The True Master was caught somewhat by surprise by this. Although by the look on her, it seemed that at some level she was actually hoping for this.

"I never did finish my training," said Silicis, "or at least _Terra_ never did. But that also means I'm also a little short on experience. I want to complete my training only because I want to better understand myself, understand my capabilities and maybe… find something worth living for."

Chu-hui looked thoughtful for a moment. Silicis waited anxiously for her response. A long period of silence hung in the air. Eventually Chu-hui smiled and looked back up at her new student.

"You are more than welcome in my home, young lady," said the True Master.

Silicis beamed. "Really? That is so awesome!"

"Of course, you do know that it will only mean a lot of work, don't you?"

"Sure, I know that. But after everything that's happened lately… I know I need to get stronger… and I'll do anything for it, for the things I believe in."

"…Good…"

The two women smiled at each other for a while. The silence was then broken by the sound of Silicis' communicator. She took it from her utility belt and answered it. Predictably enough, it was Speedy on the other end of the line.

"What's up, Speedy?" she asked.

"Well, I just calling to ask if you're ready to go," said Speedy's image, "I've finished all my preparations. I'm just waiting on you. When you're ready, just meet with me here, okay?"

"Okay, I understand. I'll be there in a few…"

With that, they signed off. Silicis pocketed the communicator away and looked back at Chu-hui.

"Well," said Silicis, "it's now or never."

Chu-hui nodded. "Time to save your friends…"

They both nodded to each other, then made their way out the room.

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Moments later.

Silicis and Speedy, along with Chu-hui, meet at the main room. Chu-hui was lounging on the couch, content in watching the two teens at work planning. The two teens were standing in front of the main computer screen. The screen was again displaying a digital map that showed the general area of the city and its borders. A separate box on the screen zoomed in at one part of the map showing four blinking lights.

"So," said Silicis, "I'm guessing that's where they're held up, huh?"

"Yeah," said Speedy, "I'm sure since their signal is in close proximity to that place where we fought off those stonecutter things along with that spellbinding girl, Fallacy. I have no doubts now that Blood and Chang's secrete facility is somewhere around there."

"Looks like it's a little ways outside the city."

"It won't be a long trip if you fly us there."

"And once we do get there, what can we do next?"

"I mainly propose busting in, saving our friends, and shutting down that facility for good. Unless you've got some better suggestions?"

Silicis shrugged. "I've got no arguments to that. But how do we blow the place up? I'm all for it but it's certain that that place is gonna be huge."

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

"By the way, I noticed you're carrying a new bow. And there's something different about your quiver."

Speedy took out his bow. "Oh this? A little more stuff that I've been saving for a rainy day. Tough yet lightweight carbon fiber construction, titanium alloy, pulley assisted load distribution system, and a Kevlar fiber draw string. As for my quiver, aside from carrying most of my regular arrows, it also holds a few special ones. All in all, this stuff is actually still in its experimental stage."

"Perfect time for a field test, huh?"

"Exactly!"

Speedy slung his bow. He then looked at the screen in front of him once again. Looking at the four dot on the screen that indicated the location of his friends was comforting to him. Growing up in a rough world has taught Speedy to always look for hope wherever one can find it. Knowing his friends were alright and that they had a chance in saving them as well as the world gave Speedy enough hope to last the night. Looking at Silicis who was staring up at the screen, he thought that she felt the same way.

"You know," said Speedy, "For a self-proclaimed "evil genius master minds," Blood and Chang are making an awful lot of the same old mistakes. You'd think they'd learn by now."

"What do you mean?" asked Silicis. "You mean like letting you, me, and the others, openly potential threats, remain alive while they gloat over their so-called victory, ignoring said obvious threats, while all the while they're actually leaving us with a large window of opportunity act against whatever they're planning essentially creating their own self-destruction scenario?"

Speedy did a double-take on Silicis.

"Blind optimism, Speedy," continued Silicis, "It's common among most people whether they're a good guy or a bad guy. It's a common, yet very ugly and often heavily damaging, mistake committed by people all the time. Even the most logical people fall for it sometimes. The prospects of blind optimism are so tempting that even geniuses, good or evil, tend to overlook logic."

"How do you mean?" asked Speedy.

"Whenever a person has a lucky streak, as in they have good things happen to them or everything happens according to their plan, they often make a mistake of illogically thinking that they'll only have a better chance of everything else to continue going their way. Because of that, they ignore common sense and choose to overlook obvious threats to their being. And when something does come along that they don't agree with, they really never see it coming and they end up getting bit right in the ass, hard. Worst part is that in the end they end up on an island not knowing where they went wrong and they are stranded with nothing but regret. It's the kind of thing most people loose sleep over. Believe me, Speedy, it's not pretty."

"You sound like you know all of this first hand."

Silicis turned her head to Speedy with a knowing smirk on her face. Speedy was confused for a moment before he realized that in a sense she really did know all of this first hand.

Silicis was a clone of Terra. Terra was once the apprentice of one of the most notorious and evil villains known in history. Speedy slowly started to remember all those reports he's heard as well as stories from the Teen Titans themselves about the last few days of Terra's reign as Slade's apprentice. Despite the negative circumstances of that fateful day, it turned out to be, if nothing else, a good learning experience.

"Oh, yeah," said Speedy, "I guess you _do_ know first hand…"

"Terra learned her lesson then, "said Silicis, "and so did I. Now it's Professor Chang and Brother Blood's turn to get bitten."

"Amen to that. Now that we're ready, what do you say let's do it to it?"

"Let's…"

The swung their right palms out towards each other until they ach caught the other's palm with their own. They shook their hand and let go. Silicis turned to the old woman sitting on the nearby couch who was watching them this whole time.

"You okay with staying here alone, Master?" asked Silicis.

"I'll be fine," said the True Master, "You kid go on ahead. I'll hold the fort down."

They all nodded to each other in total agreement. Both teens quickly made their way to the exit. On their way out, Speedy looked behind him at Chu-hui and quickly said: "Wish us luck!" before the door closed behind them, leaving the old woman alone.

"Good luck…" said Chu-hui into the empty air.

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Somewhere in the GeoHammer facility.

Professor Chang sat alone in the middle of a private office working on a laptop on a desk. The room was dimly lit and most of the light was actually coming from the laptop he was using, illuminating his face in a very creepy fashion. He seemed all too focused in his work to care to give attention too much of anything. So he didn't even register the fact that his door opened.

Fallacy walked in with a nervous vibe around her. She looked towards the far side of the office where Professor Chang was working diligently on his laptop. The way the screen lit up his Face was of no comfort to her yet she swallowed and mustered up the courage to move forward, deeper into the room. All the while, Chang never gave her a hint of attention.

Fallacy has always hidden it from view due to pride among other reasons. But, truth be told, she was actually quite nervous around Professor Chang ever since they met in person. She managed to hide her insecurities rather well, knowing that the Professor had absolutely no reason to betray her or his partner, Brother Blood. But there was still something about Chang that didn't sit right with Fallacy.

There was something about Chang that somehow told Fallacy that the old man had a secret. Something that he felt he had to keep to himself, like a personal agenda. Fallacy was nervous about this because she didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing to the HIVE Academy. But, whatever it was, Fallacy knew that it wasn't important at that moment.

"Professor Chang?" called out Fallacy.

No response whatsoever. The old man in the corner simply kept typing on and paid absolutely no attention to the silver-haired girl standing in front of him.

"Professor Chang?" she called out again.

Again she received no answer. Professor Chang continued to divulge him self into this work. Fallacy simply stood where she was, feeling slightly annoyed by then.

"Professor Chang, please," she called out, "I came here to deliver a message from Brother Blood."

Whether it was out of irritation or interest, Chang finally acknowledge the girl's presence. He stopped typing and crossed his fingers then looked up to Fallacy. His face was completely expressionless, not a hint of emotion. Fallacy grew even more uncomfortable.

"Yes," he said, "what is it that you want to say to me, my dear?"

Fallacy summoned her nerves. "Brother blood invites you to dine with him this afternoon, Professor. He says that he would like you to celebrate with him."

"Celebrate? What's the occasion?"

"Surely you have heard by now that the GeoHammer's trial run was a success, have you not, Professor?"

"My dear, of course I've heard news of it. I know that the trial run went smoothly, not that I had any doubts in the GeoHammer."

"Yes, Professor, and Brother Blood believes this to be a cause of celebration since it almost insure the success of your plans."

"I appreciate the offer, but you'll both forgive me for declining. I have plenty of work to do now and I'd rather that I don't be disturbed."

"Are you sure about that, Professor?"

"Yes I am, my dear."

"Can I ask you what you are working on that is so important?"

"No you can't and it's nothing that would interest you."

Despite the fact that he had a calm tone in his voice when he said that, fallacy still felt that she shouldn't question the Professor any further than that. Since she couldn't respond to that, an awkward silence fell between the two.

"Is there something else you wanted, my dear?" asked Chang.

"N-No, Professor. I'll inform Brother Blood immediately, thank you for your time--"

Fallacy was interrupted and startled by the sudden out break of alarms that suddenly went off. The sirens could be heard clearly even through the closed door of the office. Both occupants of the room were very surprised to here the alarms that indicated that something was wrong. Fallacy, who was very familiar with the HIVE Academy's alarm system, knew what the alarm meant.

"Intruders," she said, "inside the facility."

"Hmm, I thought as much…" droned Professor Chang.

Fallacy did a double-take on the Professor. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Nothing. You should see to this incident, my dear. Nothing must interfere with our operations. I will see to it that my men will assist you."

"Y-Yes, Professor. Thank you."

With that, Fallacy exited the room a little bewildered about what just happened. Professor Chang was left alone in the room. In side the dimly lit room, Professor Chang mumbled to himself with a smirk on his face. The turn of event that just occurred didn't seem to bother him. As a matter of fact, it looked as if he was actually expecting something like this to happen.

"You made mistakes, my friend," he said to nobody, "and you will pay for it. But this really wouldn't mean anything in the long run."

He reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled out a little glass tube. He looked at it. Inside the glass tube a small piece of crystal that was glowing a bright golden hue. Chang smiled proudly at it.

"The truth is nothing will matter in the end…"

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Somewhere else in the GeoHammer facility.

Speedy and Silicis were standing in the middle of what seemed to be an oversized garage. The space was huge, measuring the area of a soccer field. The ceiling was at least three stories up. The space they were in seemed to have been dug out of the ground and left like that. The walls and the ceiling were basically solid earth but the floor was tarmac. One wall was actually a set of giant garage doors from which the two teens entered from.

The place was moderately lit by rows of florescent bulbs that were attached o the ceiling. It was somewhat clear that the space was not totally finished since there were piles of dirt and rocks lying on certain spots around the space along with an assortment of construction vehicles all over the place. The two teens thought that this space would probably serve as a garage when it was complete.

As with everywhere else in the facility, alarm sirens were going off in the unfinished garage as well. The two teens in the middle of all the racket knew all too well what those sounds meant. They were detected, plain and simple.

"Well…" said Speedy, "so much for the stealth approach."

"We'll have to hurry now," said Silicis, "If they know we're here then they'll only try to stop us,"

"Oh, I can handle a few brainless foot soldiers here and there but I'm most worried about what might happen to the others if this keeps up."

"They're our top priority now. We find them first then get them out. Hopefully afterwards, all this chaos is gonna leave us with an avenue to work through--"

A sudden stomping noise grabbed the attention of the two discussing Titans. Turning to the source of the source of the sound, Speedy and Silicis found themselves looking at three, very threatening, stonecutters. They all seemed primed for battle and the pilots inside the cockpits of the three machines looked hungry for blood.

"Aww man," said Speedy, "it's more of those stonecutter things."

Speedy, like his name implies, drew out an arrow and slung it to his bow. Just as he was about to aim his arrow, Silicis raised her arm to block Speedy's shot. Speedy dropped his aim and looked at Silicis inquisitively. Silicis responded to him with slight smile on her face.

"Don't worry Speedy," said Silicis, "I got this."

"Are you sure?" asked Speedy, a little worried.

"You should go on ahead without me and try and find the Titans. I won't be long."

Speedy looked at Silicis worriedly. But eventually, he resolved himself to trusting her and returned his arrow back in his quiver. Speedy nodded at Silicis and she nodded back. Speedy ran off to the side leaving Silicis in the center of the space. As Speedy ran to a door located near on of the corners of the room, a stonecutter chased after him. The stonecutter was interrupted when a boulder suddenly came between it and the fleeing archer allowing Speedy to disappear.

All three of the stonecutters now turned their attention to Silicis who was facing them the whole time. The leading stonecutter's pilot said something on his communications instrument that only the other two pilots heard. A second later, they all bared their armaments out towards Silicis like a predator baring its teeth. Silicis just smirked smugly.

"You guys want some?" mocked Silicis, "then come get some."

Silicis then stretched out her arms and her entire body started to glow a bright golden hue. The piles of rocks and dirt around her began to rattle as rocks and soil began floating into the air and gathering towards her. Soon, there was a virtual torrent of rocks and soil flying in orbit around her. The cloud of earth steadily grew and all but blocked Silicis from sight. Inside the stonecutter cockpits, the pilots were nervously raising their eyebrows.

As the cloud grew bigger, it also began to dissipate and become more transparent. The stonecutter pilots tried to see what was inside. When they did, it was clearly not the blonde-haired teen they were expecting to see.

Slowly rising out of the dissipating cloud of earth was a creature that was many a times bigger than the girl, Silicis. The creature's body was clearly made of stone that looked like jagged rocks pasted together into the shape of a body. All over the creature's body, cracks in its stony skin were glowing bright gold. It stood on two very thick legs that each ended in a large three-clawed foot. Behind the legs was a long, stone tail swinging freely. Its abdomen was muscular and tough-looking. It had two thick arms with clawed hands. It had two skeletal wings attached to its back but instead of bones they were made out of stone. Topping the creature off was a reptilian-shaped head that had twin horns growing backwards making the head look like a letter 'V'. It had two glowing gold eyes that were staring down the three machines in front of it.

The three pilots of the stonecutters shivered nervously. The _Stone Dragon _in front of them was much bigger and all the more intimidating. The pilots knew they had their work cut out for them this afternoon. Inside the giant Stone Dragon, Silicis smirked at their insecurities.

Then without warning, the Stone Dragon gave out a deafening roar, then lunged at the three stonecutters.

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Author's note: By now, the end to this story is almost near. Stay tuned for all the action to come. Pls. Read and Review as they are extremely helpful to me.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep writing this? I don't own jack!

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Inside the holding cell.

The four Titans were going about their business as always, mainly because they had no choice. Bumble Bee and the twins were quietly seated on the floor while Aqualad continued to pace back and forth in frustration. Bumble Bee all but ignored Aqualad's pacing and the quite mumblings of the twins that were seated a few feet next to her.

They've completely lost track of time since being captured and restrained inside their holding cell. Bumble Bee knew how to deal with situations like this but Aqualad and the twins were having a harder time coping with the circumstances. She knew that there was nothing they could do right now to help themselves at that moment. All they could do right then and there was to wait. It wasn't a good choice but then again it was the only choice.

She found that she didn't have to wait long as the sudden sound of alarm sirens call Bumble Bee's attention. The rest of the team that was with her in the cell also heard the very obvious alarm. Aqualad, being the only one already on his feet, went to the door to try and assess what exactly was going on. Seeing as there were no windows on the door, he pressed his ear to the door instead.

Behind the door, Aqualad could distinctly identify the hurried and nervous chattering of various wasp soldiers. He was also able to here the tapping of rushing feet as soldiers from all over started running every which way in response to whatever urgency that needed attention. Aqualad could not identify specifically though exactly what all the soldiers were exited about.

"Sounds like a real party out there," he said, "I can't tell what's going on though…"

The twins, Más and Menos, also craned their heads in curiosity.

"Algo es equivocado ahí," they said, "Y seem ser grande. ¿Ésta es una buena cosa mala para nosotros?"

But Bumble Bee, who was smirking knowingly, already had a grasp of the situation. Having spent some time in the HIVE Academy herself and familiarizing herself with their systems, She was knew all too well the meaning of that alarm. It was the HIVE's standard alarm for intruders in the facility. And Bumble Bee knew what that meant for them and Brother Blood at that moment.

"Now is where the fun begins…" she said.

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Somewhere in the hallways.

Speedy sprinted down the wide hexagonal corridors that were typical of any HIVE facility. He was looking for his friends, his main priority at the moment. So far in his run, he has encountered few doors and all them lead to rooms and spaces that Speedy just didn't have time for. He was getting more worried as time progressed while didn't.

Every moment he wasted looking, he knew, was one more moment where the chances he'd find his friends safely would slim. He knew they had to be in some kind of holding cell for prisoners but it would seem like he wasn't in that particular part of the facility.

Apart from worrying about his friends who were captured, he was growing worried about Silicis as well. She told him to go on without her since time was of the essence to them right then. She was right about that and Speedy couldn't argue with what Silicis said about them being pressed for time but he was wondering if leaving her to fend of those three stonecutters back at the hanger all alone was such a good idea.

Speedy's thoughts were interrupted as he rounded a corner and came almost face-to-face with a three-man squad of wasp soldiers about ten or so yards ahead of him in the hallway. All of them stopped moving and turned bug-eyed at the sight of each other and immediately reacted accordingly. Speedy ducked back behind the corner while the soldiers opened fire with their laser rifles.

The rifle blasts from the wasp soldiers pinged and ricocheted off of the wall perpendicular to the one Speedy was hiding behind. Speedy was virtually pinned and could not proceed through the barrage of gunfire. He had to think of something to get rid of the soldiers in his way. One laser blast ricocheted off of the wall. Speedy saw this and got an idea.

He took an arrow from his quiver. He knocked the head on the wall to prematurely pop open the head of the arrow. The tip exploded into a punching glove. Speedy slung the arrow to his hi-tech new bow and stepped away from the wall. He aimed at the far wall of the hallway perpendicular to him and unleashed the punching glove arrow.

The arrow flew at the wall at an angle. As speedy was hoping fro, the arrow bounced off the wall and managed to hit one of the unsuspecting and completely off-guard wasp soldiers right in the face. The other two wasp soldiers stopped firing in reaction to the sudden and unexpected attack from around the corner. Speedy probably noticed this.

The red archer popped out of the corner whilst the last two soldiers were finding their bearings. Speedy was clear to take shots at them with two more glove arrows fired at the same time from his bow. Both arrows easily found their targets' faces and all three of the wasp soldiers were now knocked out. Speedy grinned proudly to himself and continued on.

Speedy ran past the unconscious bodies of the three wasp soldiers and towards the end of the hallway he was in. After half-a-minute of running he comes to another turn that led to another hallway which ended in a door over fifty yards away or so. Speedy ran for it, trying his best to hurry.

Speedy ran past the unconscious bodies of the three wasp soldiers and towards the end of the hallway he was in. He came to another turn in that led into another hallway that ended in a doorway about twenty or so yards ahead of Speedy.

Half-way through this new hallway, Speedy noticed the doors sliding open revealing four wasp soldiers, two walking in a line and two more on either side. The soldiers were surprised to see Speedy just like the last batch of soldiers. But Speedy, instead of ducking back, only increased his speed. He was already two-thirds of the way down this hallway so he could duck behind anything.

The soldiers were too surprised to react to Speedy quickly enough allowing Speedy an opportunity to gain some ground. Upon reaching a desirable distance from the first soldier in front of him, Speedy hopped into the air and did a flying kick nailing the first soldier right in the face, knocking him out as well as knocking him back to the second soldier behind him who caught the first awkwardly.

Speedy dropped onto the ground in a crouch. The third and fourth soldier, now on either side of Speedy were preparing to fire upon Speedy at point blank range. Speedy of course never gave them a chance to do so. Speedy took out his bow by then and held it more or less like a staff.

Speedy spun his body around while stretching out wide his bow. Speedy is able to trip the third soldier on his right. The soldier was caught off-guard and fell right on his butt with a loud thud. Speedy kept on spinning while also springing up back to a standing position, managing to knock out the fourth soldier in the face with his bow.

As the fourth soldier fell to the ground, knocked out by Speedy's blow to his face, the third soldier was just about to get up off of his butt. Speedy saw this coming. The archer then took out an arrow but did not immediately sling it to his bow. Speedy held the arrow in his right hand like a club and swung it down hard on the third soldier's cranium before he had a chance to get back up.

The arrow head impacted with the soldiers head. Immediately after that, the arrow head exploded into a punching glove that was typical of Speedy's use. The force of the arrowhead's explosive transformation was enough to render the third soldier unconscious and he soon fell back on his butt on the floor.

Speedy knew enough to quickly sling the glove-arrow onto his bow. He quickly aimed at the direction of the door, anticipating his last target. The second soldier, who awkwardly caught the first that was already knocked out, was finally recovering and just then readying his weapon. The soldier looked up and saw Speedy aiming the arrow at him less than ten feet from him.

Speedy fired the arrow. At less than ten feet, the red archer didn't have to worry at all about missing his shot. The arrow, with its punching glove head, nailed the poor hapless soldier square in the face and immediately putting him in a world of sleep.

Speedy grinned satisfyingly. "Down and out…"

Speedy relaxed his arms and took a breath. He ran past the fallen wasp soldiers and deeper into the facility.

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Back at the garage.

A stone cutter charged at the Stone Dragon with its drill arm. The Stone Dragon was momentarily distracted but seemed to have noticed the attacking machine just in time. With inches to spare, the Dragon managed to grab at the stonecutter's left arm and stop the drill from touching, much less penetrating, its rocky hide.

The Stone Dragon countered the attack by pushing away the stonecutter. It stumbled backwards in an awkward attempt to regain balance. Just as it did, the Dragon swung around its entire body and whipped the hapless stonecutter with its stony tail. Like a rag doll, the stonecutter went flying through the air then slid a good distance on the floor.

A second stonecutter charged at the Stone Dragon form the side, swinging its drill arm high up to the Dragon's head. But the stonecutter underestimated the agility of the earthen reptile as the Stone Dragon suddenly ducked completely evading the attack.

Countering for the attack, the Dragon reached up with its claws and clamped them around the stonecutter's drill arm. Using massive strength, the Dragon swung the heavy mechanical gorilla like a bat. It let go of the stonecutter at the right time to send it flying halfway across the room then come back down sprawled on the floor.

From behind the Stone Dragon, the last stonecutter was charging at the rocky creature as well, failing to see that this kind of attack doesn't seem to work well. The Dragon noticed early on and prepared a counter-strategy. It's rocky skeleton wings began to glow bright gold. Just as the stonecutter was about to drive its drill into the Dragon's back, the reptilian shot straight up into the air. The stonecutter found itself attack empty space and stumbled awkwardly before regaining its balance.

The stonecutter, which failed in its attempted attack, turned around quickly to see where the Stone Dragon went. The creature in question was hovering a whole forty feet in the air, it's wings glowing bright gold. Without warning, the Stone dragon suddenly swooped down towards the stonecutter. It swiped its massive claws at the hapless machine, cracking the canopy and knocking it down hard.

The Dragon flew back into the air and hovered at a height. It noticed a claw suddenly grabbing its arm at the last second. The Dragon inspected its arm and sure enough there was a metal claw that attached itself onto its rocky wrist. The metal claw was attached to a cable which stretched to one of the other stonecutters. This one had recovered and was now trying a new tactic.

Without warning, the stonecutters cable lost all its slack and began to pull in the Dragon from the air. The Dragon was tugged downward a few feet before it started to resist as best it can. It started to put a lot of effort into flying back up while the stonecutter below the earthen creature did its best to pull down. This tug-of-war battle continued for about half a minute before one of them made a move.

That one happened to be the Dragon as its wings glowed an extra bright hue. It gave out a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire space of the unfinished garage. With its free claw, Dragon grabbed onto the cable. With all its strength, the Dragon pulled hard on the cord, yanking the stonecutter below it right off of its feet.

The Dragon kept its grip on the cable attached to the stonecutter's claw. Like a gigantic mace on a chain, the stonecutter was swung around in complete circles by its own grappling cable and it couldn't do anything about it. The Stone Dragon kept at this, spinning the hapless machine round and round, until finally the cable snapped under the immense stress.

The stonecutter went flying all the way across the vast space of the garage and ended up crashing hard into a few parked construction vehicles causing some small scale explosions and a small fire to break out. It turned out that the crash was a lot more damaging to the stonecutter. Moments later, the pilot could be seen running away from the flames, a few scorch marks in his uniform. Moments after the pilot emerged, the stone cutter exploded into smithereens.

The Stone Dragon watched the pilot as he escaped into a nearby door. This made it momentarily distracted and oblivious to the two remaining stonecutters that have recovered from their earlier fall. One of the stonecutter activated its jetpack a flew into the air. It came at the hovering Dragon with both arms wide open as if to tackle the stony reptile.

The Dragon noticed the approaching threat only in the nick of time. With lightning fast reflexes, the Stone Dragon reached out both its clawed arms to catch both of the stonecutter's inner arms and stop them from closing in and clamping down on the Dragon. The two large bodies struggled with each other in mid-air with the stonecutter steadily winning.

The Dragon was struggling with every ounce of its strength but appeared to be failing against the massive strength of the giant mechanical ape that was the stonecutter. This caused the pilot of the stonecutter to grin cockily. That grin soon disappeared as the pilot suddenly learned that appearances can be deceiving.

The Dragon's eyes started glowing even brighter than before. It stared the nervous looking pilot in the stonecutter. The Dragon let out a gut-wrenching roar towards the pilot, at the same time pushing outward both its clawed arms and slowly ripping out the stonecutters own arms in the process. Wire by wire, both of the stonecutter's arms were ripped right out of their sockets and tossed aside.

The stonecutter found itself floating in mid-air completely defenseless now that it was missing both of its arms. The Dragon would have probably grinned if it had the facial muscles to do so. Taking advantage of the stonecutter's lack of defense, the Dragon flipped forward in mid-air somersault, sending its long stone tail whipping down at the stonecutter. The impact of the tail sent the stonecutter crashing down onto the floor. It landed quite hard on its back which pretty much put it out of commission.

Inside the canopy, the pilot was in a slight daze. He managed to pull himself together well enough to look strait up at the Stone Dragon that was about to come down on him feet first. The Pilot went bug-eyed immediately and forgot about pulling himself together and concentrated on pulling himself out of his seat.

The pilot managed to unbuckle himself, open the canopy, and exit the stone cutter in a record time of only three seconds flat. Soon after the pilot escaped from his machine, it was the stonecutter that turned flat as the Stone Dragon came down from above with both of its large clawed feet, crushing the defenseless stonecutter completely.

The pilot ran for the nearest exit and escaped but the Stone Dragon paid little attention to the fleeing pilot knowing that he was of little consequence. The Dragon turned full attention to the last remaining stonecutter in the garage. Already the stonecutter in question was already charging at the Dragon it yet another flawed attack.

The Dragon had already predicted the stonecutter's moves and acted accordingly. The stonecutter came at the Dragon with a raised drill arm. As it closed the distance between them, the Dragon swiped a claw at the raised drill arm. The sheer force of the strike ripped the drill part of the arm clear off of its elbow joint. The stonecutter halted in its charge.

The stonecutter then tried to swing its claw arm to somehow try and smack down the large stony reptile in front of it. The stonecutter failed as the Dragon swiped at it with its other claw, ripping almost all of the claw arm away from the main body. The stonecutter found itself defenseless just like its comrade before it. To add insult to injury, the Dragon crossed its arms and swung both of them down on the stonecutter's lags, its only remaining limbs.

The main body of the stonecutter suddenly fell backwards off of its legs which were now stumps. The pilot quickly got out of his seat and opened up the canopy. The pilot immediately found himself being stared down by the Stone Dragon. The Pilot automatically reached for his emergency side arm, a pistol, and aimed it at the Dragon. The earthen reptile let out an earth-shattering roar. The pilot immediately dropped his pistol, turned pale white with fear, and ran off screaming like a little girl.

The Stone Dragon watched as the cowardly pilot made for a nearby exit and disappeared. As soon as the dragon was alone, it soon lost its golden glow. Piece by piece, the Stone Dragon fell apart and disintegrated entirely. A cloud of dust was kicked up by debris which impaired vision.

As the dust cloud cleared, Silicis stood in place of the Stone Dragon that once was. The girl was grinning proudly to herself. She then turned to where she remembered Speedy ran off to. She spotted the particular exit Speedy took and summoned a flat piece of rock to her side. She hopped onto the rock and hurriedly hovered away on it, off to help her friends.

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Further into the Facility.

Speedy ended up in a large audience hall of some kind. The place was just one really bare floor and a staged with a single podium at the end of one side. The walls were like that of a theater, having sliding panels to reduce echo. Near one corner was a stack of foldable chairs. There were doors on each wall leading to different parts of to facility.

Speedy looked at each door. "Man, I could really use a map right now…"

He looked at each door on each wall. Some were clearly marked with lit signs indicating where they lead to. But some of the location names that Speedy read were not familiar to him. It wouldn't have made a difference if the doors weren't labeled at all.

"Can't waste time like this…" he said, raising a hand to point at the doors, "…Let's see now… Eenie, meanie, minie, moe---"

By sheer coincidence, the last door that Speedy was pointing at suddenly opened. Soon after, four mech-rangers made their appearance rushing into the room and standing in formation a few dozen feet in front of Speedy. The four android unsheathed their swords and bared them threateningly at Speedy.

Speedy looked nervous for a few seconds. It was a justified look since the mech-rangers showed no implications of wanting to act friendly. But Speedy soon replaced that look with one of confidence. He reached into his quiver and took a moment or two to pick out a specific arrow. Once he found the right arrow, he immediately slung it onto his bow, aimed, and fired.

The arrow flew true through the air and headed straight to its intended target which was the first mech-soldier standing closest to Speedy. Thought the arrow flew at a twice the speed at which it normally did thanks to Speedy's new hi-tech bow, The first mech-ranger shot its arm up and amazingly caught the arrow by the stem inches from its face.

Speedy raised n eyebrow in astonishment. The Archer relaxed is stance. The mech-ranger who caught the arrow dropped it onto the floor. All four of the mech-rangers stared Speedy right in the eye and readied themselves to attack. Speedy simply stood there…grinning.

As the mech-rangers were about to charge, a strange beeping sound caught the attention of one of them. The one looked down towards the fallen arrow that failed to hit it. It had a small blinking light at the tip. The blinking and beeping steadily grew more rapid. The mech-ranger stared curiously until the arrowhead unexpectedly let out a bright blue flash. The light in the room momentarily flickered right after this.

The flash wasn't bright enough or loud enough for it to be called an explosion by any standard. But for some reason, the mech-rangers were all frozen in place, not moving a single muscle. Three of the mech-rangers were looking like they were in the middle of a charge while the one out front was still staring down at the arrow.

One-by-one, the four mech-rangers started to fall, sprawling all over the floor of the large empty space. Speedy kept on grinning and calmly moved towards the fallen androids just ahead of him. Speedy bent downward and picked-up the arrow then examined it for a bit. Tossing it aside knowing that the arrow was now pretty much useless, he bent down towards the fallen mech-ranger.

"EMP arrow, dude," he said to the mech-ranger as if it could hear him, "disables any electronic device within a fifty-foot radius unless properly protected, which in your case isn't, heh heh…"

"Clever tricks, Archer…"

Speedy sprung up into a standing position, alerted by the eerily position. Looking everywhere for the source of the voice who's identity was not in doubt, Speedy was havi9ng trouble since the voice seemed to come from almost every direction.

"…However, cleverness can only gain you so much." Continued Fallacy, clearly sounding directly behind Speedy.

The Archer turned around suspecting that Fallacy would be standing there. Sure enough, the silver-haired, cat-eyed girl was standing just a few feet from him. But just as Speedy saw her, she disappeared along with everything else within sight. A bright flash suddenly blinded Speedy. He regained his sight a moment later only to see that he has left the GeoHammer facility and somehow ended up in a surreal netherworld.

Looking around, Speedy saw that nothing made sense. The walls were made of some kind of pulsating tissue coated in a slimy liquid that was dripping all over the place. The floor Speedy was standing on was similar to the wall. Spreading all over the floor were several cone-like growths that were protruding of the floor gushing out fowl smelling green gasses. The ceiling had disappeared and in its place was a high, fleshy dome from which several slimy tentacles hung from. Each tentacle had a bioluminescent bulb on it's tip providing the room with a dim light.

Speedy fought the urge to vomit after he got a whiff of the gasses coming out of the cones on the floor. He tried to remind himself that this was all an illusion. According to the briefing he had with the rest of the Team back at the tower, Fallacy took care of her enemies by making them see things that weren't really there. Speedy found that hard to believe with the stench invading his nostrils.

A voice suddenly popped up from behind him. "Let me show you what it really takes to win."

Speedy did a one-eighty, only to have Fallacy's foot nail his face. Speedy stumbled backwards and fell flat on his back. On the flat of his back, Speedy looked up and saw Fallacy charging at him. Fallacy dropped a foot right over Speedy who countered by quickly holding out his bow like a staff. The bow managed to hold off Fallacy's foot.

Speedy used almost all his strength to push off the spellbinding girl off of him. Fallacy flipped backwards then back on her feet. Speedy through his legs up and forward getting himself back up. He quickly slung an arrow onto his bow and aimed it at a grinning Fallacy.

Speedy was caught off-guard as Fallacy quadrupled right in front of his eyes. Four identical forms of Fallacy stood side-by-side. This completely ruined Speedy's aim and left him defenseless. One of the girls charged at him with a fist. Speedy tried to block but the image of the girl went right through him then disappeared.

Another two girls came at him. Speedy blocked but they too went right through him then disappeared. Speedy couldn't react accordingly since he couldn't tell which was real and which was an illusion. The two illusions that tricked him left vulnerable to the last girl which was the real Fallacy. The spellbinder came at Speedy while he was distracted. She swung out her fist and backhanded the hapless archer in the cheek.

Speedy spun and fell forward. He recovered fairly quickly and got back up. The situation didn't improve as he did. He found himself being surround by an entire squad of spellbinding girls. Speed desperately tried to search for the real Fallacy but his efforts were futile. He was caught off-guard when Fallacy put him in a chokehold from behind.

As Fallacy was trying to choke the air out of Speedy, He was trying to pull her hands away from his neck. Speedy pulled Fallacy's arms away from his neck enough to give him some leverage to counter-attack. Speedy was able to then throw her forward. Fallacy flailed through the air before crashing awkwardly back onto the ground.

She stood up as quickly as she could. Speedy was already aiming an arrow at her by then. Still, a cocky grin graced her face. She multiplied again right in front of Speedy ruining his aim. Now there stood over ten dozen spellbinding girls that littered the entire space of the netherworld.

"You can not win, Archer," all the girls said simultaneously, "Surrender, it is your only option now…"

Speedy ignored their warning and instead fired the arrow that was already slung to his bow. As predicted, the arrow simply went through the girls and imbedded itself onto the far wall. All the girls watched as the arrow flew and generally missed its would be target. They all grinned and looked back at Speedy.

"Desperation will not prolong the inevitable, Archer," they all said to him.

Speedy was ignoring them again. All the while after the arrow had impacted against the wall, Speedy had reached into his utility belt and pulled out two identical plug-like thing. He inserted one plug into each of his ears securely. He then pressed both of his palms into his ears as firmly as he can. All the spellbinding girls stared at him curiously.

Behind them all, the arrow that was imbedded to the wall was starting to activate. Its arrowhead popped open exposing some strange gadgetry. A second later, an unbearably loud shrieking sound filled the room. The sound of a hundred shrieking bats amplified twenty times. Fallacy was caught totally off-guard. The pupils in here eyes shrunk to the size of sand grains.

"Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!"

She screamed in agony, feeling as if her head was splitting in two. She clasped both her ears with her palms in a desperate attempt to block out the noise but had little success. All the while Speedy was watching as the number of girls suddenly dwindle and the surreal landscape around him flicker out of existence. Soon they were both back in the audience hall, everything looking normal again.

The shrieking stopped. Fallacy let go of her ears but all she could hear was a constant ringing that was taking its time to fade away. She looked up and didn't have time to react as Speedy launched a glove-tipped arrow which nailed her right at the temple, rendering her unconscious. Speedy relaxed his arms. He didn't like hitting girls but every now and then someone will come along who will leave him no choice. This was one such case.

Fallacy was on the floor on her back, sleeping peacefully. Speedy walked up to her to make sure that she was really out. She was unconscious. Speedy knew that she was pretty much neutralized as long as she can't use her mind to do anything to anyone else.

"I call that my new Shrieker arrow," said Speedy to the unconscious Fallacy, "Three seconds after impact it emits a high-pitched frequency and over two hundred decibels. Not enough to permanently render a person deaf but enough to give anybody a really splitting headache. I knew that I couldn't beat you while I was in your illusion but I knew that if I could just break your concentration, I could take you out."

Fallacy never heard a word of what Speedy said since she was asleep and from the looks of it she will be for a good while. Speedy probably said what he said to her out of self-indulgence. Speedy then moved on to the real business at hand: Rescuing his friends and teammates then together shutting down this entire facility.

After adjusting the straps on his quiver, he casually waved towards Fallacy's sleeping form. "Catch you later then…"

He found the exit where the mech-rangers made their entrance and left the audience hall.

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Back at the holding cell.

The Titans were now at there feet, anxiously listening to the alarms that blaring everywhere around them. Bumble Bee knew what the alarm meant and had a slight sense of security while the others, who were completely lost, could do nothing but continue to worry.

"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Aqualad, "We have to find away to get out of here and see what's happening out there."

"We can't do anything, Aqualad," said Bumble Bee, "not without our powers."

"Pero tenemos que saber qué estar ocurriendo realmente!" exclaimed the twins, "¡El suspence nos está matando aquí!"

"Calm down guys, please!" exclaimed Bumble Bee, "we have to be patient. We will get out of here but that's not gonna happen if we loose our heads."

"C'mon, Bee," said Aqualad, "Being patient isn't gonna work either. You can't expect someone to just bust through that door and help us."

Moments after Aqualad finished saying that, the door suddenly blew open from a heavy explosion coming from the outside. The Titans in the holding cell ducked and covered themselves from flying debris. They looked out into the mess of dust and debris and saw Speedy standing there.

Speedy greeted them with a proud grin. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Aqualad and the twins looked at the archer dumbly for a few seconds while Bumble Bee looked as if she was expecting this to happen. The twins looked up at Aqualad with a look of unbelieving on their faces.

"Estamos impresionados, Aqualad," they said.

Bumble Bee gave Aqualad a smug look. "That makes three of us."

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Author's note: Well here's Chapter 17. I'm almost done with this story so pleas expect a to get the next update a little longer than usual since I want to put a lot of stuff in it and I expect a whole bunch of other things to get in my way. See you next time and don't forget to send in those reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

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In his private office.

Brother Blood was having dinner when the alarms went off. The alarms have been on for a considerably long time now but he didn't seem to mind at all the urgency of the situation. Instead he went on ahead and finished his meal. He was a self-proclaimed gentleman so he finished his meal properly, not eating in a hurry and observing all the right manners.

It was a wonder what was going through his mind at that point. Despite the obvious threat to the facility, he kept a clam demeanor throughout his meal. Is he really that calm or was there something els that was being missed? Could it be that he was expecting this to happen?.

He was sipping his coffee when a knock on the door caught his attention.

"Come in," he invited.

The door opened to reveal an out-of-breath wasp soldier. Brother Blood put down his cup of coffee and stood up from his little dining table to meet the soldier.

"What is it, Sergeant?" Blood asked.

"Sir, the intruders have infiltrated deep into the facility," said the soldier, urgency clear in his voice, "One of them is still loose and the other has reached the holding cell of the Titans East."

"What of the rest of the Titans?"

"They have been released, sir. They are now running rampant in the facility. Sir, we must do something or else this entire facility could be compromised."

"I know, Sergeant. Calm down. We have to remember what's important. This was unavoidable from the beginning anyway."

The soldier did a double-take. "Sir?"

"Never mind about that now. Send your men to guard all the vital parts of the facility. Put emphasis on the power generators. I'll see to the Titans myself."

That last statement worried the soldier a bit. But he knew not to argue with his superior. "Yes sir!"

The soldier left to fulfill his duties. Brother Blood was alone in his office. He sat back down on his seat and resumed drinking what was left of his coffee. He thought about what the soldier reported to him and how everything ended up the way it was. He wasn't the least bit surprised.

He had received a few bits of criticism from his other high-ranking officers that it was a mistake leaving the Titans alive as he did, let alone holding them near the heart of their facility. Brother Blood knew himself that that was not the wisest thing to do. But he did that out of another reason. It was mostly a personal reason in Blood's case.

He knew sooner or later that the Titans East would come to try and wreck his plans whether he caught them or not. They always do. This confrontation was inevitable from the beginning. And, should truth be told, he wanted that. In the deepest part of his mind, Brother Blood desired for this confrontation. Some people might call him crazy for it.

Ever since Blood started is operations here in Steel City, the Titans always got in his way. His conquests became less and less about world wide domination and more on a personal vendetta. He still wanted world domination of course, but he wanted to take down the Titans even more. And most of all, he wanted to take down the Titans himself.

Keeping the Titans locked up in the facility itself was no accident of bad logic. Brother Blood did that to ensure that if the inevitable confrontation was to occur, it would happen on his turf. Sure he lost his psychic powers during his last encounter with Cyborg and the original Teen Titans but that was trivial. He still had what it takes and more to personally trample the Titans East into the ground.

The final battle was about to commence and Brother Blood couldn't be more exited. He finished his coffee, wiped his mouth and got back up. He adjusted his battle armor and walked out the door. A confident smile graced his face.

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In the holding cell.

All of the Titans East have now gathered together and were completely free of binding, no small thanks to Speedy. The masked archer managed to get all of those accursed handcuffs off of his teammates using his handy-dandy lock pick kit.

Aqualad was standing near the center of the room, rubbing his wrists in relief now that they were finally free after all those frustrating hours of being bound up. Más and Menos were together again, joyfully zipping around the room in a red and white blur just happy to receive their powers back. Bumble Bee stood next to Aqualad, closely inspecting her recovered weapons and she seemed satisfied with them for the meantime.

Speedy, who was watching the doorway, waited patiently for his friends to finish preparing themselves. He could only imagine how it must've been for them. Of course he himself went through a few moments like this during his sidekick days. He knew that the most frustrating part was not the fact that you were captured but the part when your captors put you in a bind where you have no option but to wait.

But for the most part, Speedy was just glad that his teammates were alive and well. Now they could finally concentrate on the main issue at hand which was to put an end to Brother Blood and Professor Chang's operation and shut down this entire facility for good.

"Okay, now that we're all here," started Bumble Bee, "We can finally get down to business."

"We need to find a way to shut down this facility," said Aqualad.

"Sí, y ¡asegúrate de que se quede cerrado!" said the twins.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" inquired Aqualad looking around the room.

"Hey, don't look at me," said Speedy, "I just got here."

"I know a way," said Bumble Bee, "Blood mentioned that the weapon needed to power up before it can do anything. If we could find the power source for the weapon and put it out of commission, then we could end the threat of the GeoHammer permanently."

"Easier said than done, Bee. Do you know how far I had to run from the entrance to here? This place is huge. It could take us forever to look through this whole place. Not to mention that we still have to deal with Blood and Chang as well."

"That's true. After all, this place is really typical of a HIVE design."

"¿Cómo está ése?" asked Más.

"¿Hay algo diferente sobre él?" followed-up Menos.

Bumble Bee nodded. "A typical HIVE facility, if it's really big, will consist of multiple facilities and departments. These departments are often distanced very far away from each other in terms of relative distance."

"Where's the practicality in that?" asked Speedy.

"None, really. The long distances between the departments are mostly for security reasons. If there is a problem in one department, it takes a while for that problem to spread to the other departments, and believe me the HIVE Academy has a lot of problems on a daily basis."

"So that means this isn't gonna be any easier for us, isn't it?"

"There has to be a way to outsmart this system," said Aqualad.

"There is," said Bumble Bee, grabbing everyone's attention, "the only way is for us to spilt up. This design may prevent problems form spreading too quickly but it also makes it hard to get to the problems if there are plenty of 'em happening simultaneously."

"Great plan," said Speedy, "So who's doing what then?"

"Our biggest priority is to shut down the GeoHammer, and that means turning off its main power source."

Bumble Bee looked around the room and spotted the twins. She smiled confidently them. "So, you guys up to the challenge then?"

"¿Tú estás bromeando?" the twins excitedly jest, "Sí, ¡podemos!"

"Okay then, Speedy, Aqualad, you guys are with me. We'll find and take down those two old crones and put them in the retirement home they belong to."

"Got it!" exclaimed Speedy.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this," said Aqualad.

They all ready themselves to leave the holding cell. Hey rechecked their respective armaments and cautiously stepped out of the door. The hallway they came to was empty except for a few unconscious bodies on the floor courtesy of Speedy. After assessing that the hallway was clear they relaxed a bit and looked around.

Looking around, they all noticed that the hallway actually went two ways. At the end of each part of the hallway, it also branched out in forks. Only then did the Titans East realize that they had a conundrum in their hands. They had no idea which way they should go to where they need to be. Aqualad brought up the issue first.

"Okay," he said, "so which way goes to where?" He actually ends up asking Speedy more than anyone else.

"Hey!" Speedy responded, "I told you I just got here. I know as much as you guys do."

"I'll take care of this," said Bumble Bee suddenly.

She moved to one of the fallen soldiers on the floor. She frisked his midsection without him noticing. She knew exactly what she was looking for and she eventually found it. A wry smile on Bumble Bee's face confirmed her successful find. She yanked it out of the fallen wasp soldiers armor and examined it thoroughly while holding it in her hand. Behind her, the boys watched curiously.

"Whatcha got there, Bee?" inquired Speedy.

"Every HIVE soldier," started Bumble Bee while reaching into her utility belt, "has a built in tracking device in their individual communicators. Makes sure that your higher-ups don't loose track of you."

She pulled out her communicator and opened it to activate. She pulled some cables that were built in to the communicator and connected it to the soldier's communicator she had in her hand. Bumble Bee then immediately went to work on her communicator. The communicator beeped and chimed much to the satisfaction of Bumble Bee as it was apparently doing whatever it was suppose to be doing.

"What are you up to now?" inquired Aqualad this time.

"The tracking software in this device," continued Bumble Bee, "is programmed with a full schematic map of whatever facility a soldier is assigned in which, in this case, is the GeoHammer. I'm uploading this map to all our communicators so we can keep track of where we are and where we need to go."

"¿De verdad?" exclaimed the twins "¡Eso es fantástico!"

"That's right you two. And I've already taken the liberty of locating the power facility and highlighting it on your communicators."

"¡Eso es más fantástico! ¡Gran trabajo!"

"Alright, now that we have the means, let's bring this whole thing to an end and go home!"

"Got it!" exclaimed Aqualad.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Speedy.

"¡Hagámoslo!" exclaimed the twins, Más and Menos.

Bumble Bee gave each of her teammates an affirming nod. She readied herself for their venture and was about to drop the soldier's communicator when she noticed something in it that was strange. The communicator displayed a general alert message that called any available unit to come to another sector of the facility in order to deal with some kind of problem.

"Looks like we have a little breathing room," said Bumble Bee, "Most of the soldiers in the place are being called to another problem elsewhere so that should keep some weight off our shoulders. Funny though, I wonder what's going on that has everybody all worked-up."

"Well," Speedy spoke up, "Guess we have Silicis to thank for that."

Everyone did a double-take towards Speedy. "Who?" "¿Quién?"

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Somewhere else in the hallways.

Silicis was literally flying down the hallway at amazing speeds. She had the convenience of floating slab of rock to thank for that. She was making good progress in navigating through the maze-like interior of the GeoHammer facility. Though it was comparatively good progress, she still had a long ways to go until she found her friends or got near to any of her other objectives. She was at least thankful that she had ran into minimal resistance to that point.

However that lucky streak ended as she rounded the next corner and traveled down the following hallway. There she encountered a four-man squad of wasp soldiers that were in an awful hurry to get to somewhere. Silicis suspected it was herself that was their cause for hurry and this was only confirmed when the soldiers stopped in their tracks and aimed their rifles.

"Like it's gonna be that easy for you…" murmured Silicis.

Before the soldiers could open fire, Silicis back-flipped off of the flying slab of rock that she was on and landed on the floor in a crouch. As soon as she was on the floor, she waved a glowing gold hand which caused the flying slab of rock to turn over on its side and fly so that it was acting like a floating shield that blocked her from the soldiers' line of fire.

The soldiers at the other end of the hallway began to open fire with their laser rifles. It was futile to say the least since the flying slab of rock pretty much stood up to the barrage of laser fire. Behind the slab a good distance away, the soldiers' true target, Silicis, was completely out of harm's way.

The slab of rock continued to loom ominously towards the wasp soldiers. The soldiers in turn started to turn pale and nervously started stepping back. It was a useless attempt to escape as they soon found themselves about to be flattened by the large piece of earth.

Two of the soldiers were lucky. They were able to jump to the side and flatten themselves up against the walls opposite of each other; hence they successfully avoided the flying rock. Their two comrades that stood in the middle of the hallway were a tad bit more unfortunate as the slab impacted them and pratically crushed the front part of their armor.

The slab, along with the two hapless and screaming soldiers flew all the way across the hall towards the end if it which right-angled towards another adjacent hallway. The impact echoed throughout the halls with a load thud. Slowly the slab of rock peeled off of the wall and fell flat on the floor. The two soldiers, birds flying circles around their heads, followed suite.

The two surviving wasp soldiers, who were now in the middle of the hallway, sweatdropped at the scene that befell their comrades. They nervously turned their heads back towards Silicis. The girl now stood in the middle of the hallway a short distance from them, smiling smugly.

The two remaining wasp soldiers aimed their rifles once again at her. Silicis on y\the other hand continued to stand there, not looking the least bit worried. Silicis brought her two hand up and suddenly clapped them together. Simultaneously, the opposite walls on either side of the two solders suddenly caved in on themselves.

The hallway was of course underground like the entire facility. The only thing outside those walls was pure earth, something Silicis took readily advantage of. She retracted both her hands and the caved in walls automatically reverted back to their original shape. Standing in the middle of the mess where the two hapless soldiers, with spiral, spinning eyes. They collapse onto the ground, unconscious.

Silicis smiled victoriously and ran past the fallen bodies of the wasp soldiers. She hopped over the two in the middle of the hall way and came tow the two that were up against the wall next to the slab of rock. Using her powers, she called forth the rock to float again in mid-air. She resumed riding it like a skateboard down the hallways.

She continued on her journey down the hallways for a short time with encountering anyone for a few minutes. Navigating through the maze-like interior, she wasn't the bit surprised if even the facility's occupants would likely find themselves lost themselves.

As her search for her friends continued on, she came across a divide in the hallway. She stopped to assess her choices. The hallway continued on ahead of her for quite a distance. But on the wall to her left, the hallway branched out to another path which lead to another hallway that ran parallel the one she was on. She simply stood there for a while, contemplating her choices of whether to continue on ahead or take the left passage.

Truth be told, she had no idea where either paths lead. It was after all her first time ever in the facility and she and Speedy did pretty much barge in a hurry. So it's no big mystery why she was lost but that didn't mean it didn't annoy the hell out of her.

She wished Bumble bee were there with her, knowing through Bumble Bee's experience with the HIVE that she would somehow explain why the HIVE facilities were always designed with so many hallways through some logical reasoning. Silicis dismissed that though rather quickly after remembering that this facility was built by Brother Blood and she knew that anything that man plans or builds hardly ever have any reason or logic behind them.

Her thought were interrupted as Silicis suddenly heard the pitter-patter of rushing footsteps from the other hallway. Worried that it was another squad of wasp soldiers, she quickly ducked behind the corner of the junction so that she was not to be seen and that maybe they'll just simply pass by without noticing her.

Her ploy worked. The company that was coming towards her from the opposite hallway passed by without seeing her. Silicis peeked out of the corner to make sure and she realized that they were not who she thought they would be. Instead of the yellow and black armored wasp soldiers she expected to see, she saw a bunch of white-suited men wearing strange gas-masks and carried unusual rod-like weapons.

Slicis instantly recognized theses guys as Professor Chang's personal henchmen. Speaking of the devil himself, Silicis' eyes went wide as she saw Chang in the middle of the troop, running along side his henchmen. It was a while before they all disappeared as they went off to an unknown destination.

Silicis, eyes narrowed. She remembered what Chang did to her and what he left her to. Boiling emotions suddenly rose inside of her at the sight of Chang. Then and there she decided what she needed to do. She thought about her friends that were still somewhere in the facility. She wondered if she could really ignore them for a while.

She thought maybe she could leave that detail to Speedy, or perhaps he has already freed them by now and they were all on their way to finish off Brother Blood. She knew from her earlier briefing with Speedy that there was good chance that the others would stay safe until either her or Speedy found them.

Regardless of their status at the moment, Silicis was sure that they'll be alright. For now. She was also sure as hell that she couldn't pass off this chance to get after Professor Chang and take him down herself for what he did to her. For what he made out of her. It was the only way she could get any peace of mind. She had to at least try.

Silicis immediately summoned up the slab of rock that she was using back up into the air. She hopped on and gave chase to the fleeing men in white.

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Somewhere else in the hallways

Más and Menos were buzzing around the hallways in hyper-speed blur of red and white. They encountered a few enemies on their way, but that was not a problem for them since the twins were either too fast to be reacted to or too fast to be even noticed.

That didn't mean the twins didn't have fun on the way to their objective. An example of this is when the twins encountered a lone soldier in the one of he hallways they were traveling on. The wasp soldier was taken aback when the twins suddenly stood in front of him, Más standing on top of Menos' shoulders. He almost fell on his back.

The twins smiled smugly at the baffled soldier. The soldier reacted out of instinct and immediately swung out his fist at the twins. Predictably enough, the soldier missed the twins entirely as they were now standing on the soldiers left, as if moving there instantaneously.

"Tú tendrás que hacer más que eso, señor," the twins mocked.

The soldier quickly reassessed the twins' position and swung his fist towards that direction. Again, the soldier hit nothing but air as the twins now instantly appeared on the soldier's right. Again he swung to his right and the twins disappeared and went back to his left in an instant. The soldier looked to that side and found the twins atill smiling smugly at him.

"Oooh, tú te estás poniendo más cerca," said the twins.

This went on for about a few more minutes of the soldier swinging madly into thin air where the twins were standing one moment then gone the next. The soldier eventually tired out until he was gasping for air out of sheer exhaustion.

The twins appeared right in front of him still with those silly yet annoying grins on their faces. Te soldier growled at them and made one last swing at them. The twins didn't even need hyper-speed in stepping aside since the swing was so slow and so weak that the soldier lost consciousness with his fist in mid-air and collapsed to the ground.

The twins cheered. "¡Éxito!"

Ten they resumed traveling at hyper-speed to their final destination. The zipped through over a mile of hallways more before they finally reached the objective. But thanks to their super speed they were able to find it in about a quarter of a minute.

The two of them stopped in front of a heavy looking door. They both looked at it and read the huge words printed right onto the door. It read: GENERATOR ROOM. The twins took out their communicators and looked at the displays. They brought up the map that Bumble Bee uploaded into those communicators just a while ago.

According to the display, they were standing right in front of their objective. Más and Menos looked at each other as they pocketed away their communicators and gave each other the thumbs-up. They then examined the door more thoroughly. They found a panel on the side of the door. A panel with a small LCD screen and eleven buttons, ten of which are numbered zero to nine and one last really thick one labeled 'Enter'. The LCD looked to be able to hold seven numbers.

The twins knew what to do. They moved up to it and prepared to perform one of their most favorite lock picking techniques. Más, the one standing on his brother's shoulders, started pressing random buttons at hyper-speed.

In the code-breaking business, this method was known as "Brute Force." It was a simple concept of code-breaking: By trying every single possible combination, it is a mathematical guarantee that you'll eventually reach the right combination. But one would think that it would be impratical.

There were ten numbers and the combination was seven digits long which meant that there were exactly ten million possible combinations. An average person, guessing at a rate of one combination every second would take at least four months to enter all the possible combination. Más however cracked the code in less then a minute.

The machine beeped in acknowledgement as the proper code was entered. The door instantly opened and allowed for the twins to enter. They did so. The room was big, it had to be. The twins found themselves standing in the middle of a large hexagonal floor. On the five sides of the hexagon (the last side was for the door) towered five vertical cylinders. On those cylinders where stickers with the depiction of a lightning bolt indicating high-voltage levels.

The twins, now standing side by side, smiled at each other and gave each other the thumbs-up once again, knowing they're in the right place. They looked around some more and spotted what looked like a control panel.

"Aparece que eso es nuestra meta ahí mismo," said Más.

"Terminemos esto aquí mismo y go ayudar a nuestros amigos," said Menos.

They started walking towards it. They were interrupted when from above came crashing down several large bodies. The twins were taken aback by the sudden and unexpected entry. The twins regained their balance and looked around them. Surrounding them were a dozen or so hive drones, giant robotic drumsticks with arms and legs. The twins narrowed their eyes at the robots.

"Bien, supongo que no debo haber pensado que sería tan fácil," said Menos.

"En esta empresa, nunca lo es," said Más.

The drones charged at the two brothers who readied themselves for battle.

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In the Control Room.

The room was empty except for one occupant. Brother Blood. He stood ion the middle of the room looking out of the glass window and onto the main part of the GeoHammer. It a few minutes the machine would be fully charged and ready to use. But once that happens, he had already programmed the computer to automatically launch an attack.

What was the target? It didn't matter to him. As long as wherever he was targeting had cirtain qualifications. Qualifications such as a hefty population,. He could try and imagine how it might look like from above ground, right in the epicenter of the attack.

People would be simply walking along, minding their daily lives. They would be raising their children, going to work, or simply relaxing while basking under the light of the life-giving sun. How would it be like for them when they suddenly found the ground beneath their feet shaking madly, as if the gods of the earth were suddenly angry with them?

How would they feel if the very soil beneath their feet were to suddenly vanish and send them plunging into the depths? They panic, run rampant with fear. They would run but have no place to run to. After all, what place is safe if it stands on the same earth that was also being destroyed. There was no place safe, not from the wrath of the earth itself and all the people could do is wonder what could they have done to invoke such punishment from their mother world.

He could almost feel like he was there, watching the squirming, panicking people desperate for survival but have less hope on Earth as they would in Hell. Their screams and cries would be music to his ears. He was the composer of this music. He was conducting this grand opera of genocide and in his ears it was brilliant beyond compare. Brother Blood smiled to himself.

Brother Blood's little daydream was interrupted when the doors to the Control Room suddenly opened. Brother Blood didn't need to turn around and see who it was. By that point there was little else who could be at his door. An exclaimed call of his name all but confirmed who it was.

"Blood!" exclaimed Bumble Bee from the doorway.

To this, Blood slowly turned around to meet them. As he was expecting, the Titans East stood there in the doorway, looking very eager to fight. He noted that the twin speedsters, Más and Menos were missing from the group. Where could they be, he wondered. He made it a point to ask the Titan Leader.

"Why Bumble Bee," he said, "It seems you are short a few members. And yet you choose to engage me now?"

"Don't act so cocky, you bastard," retorted Aqualad, "The three of us are more than enough to beat the living daylights out of you!"

"And besides," said Speedy, "Those guys have a more important job to do."

Brother Blood snickered, "Fools. Whatever you think they can accomplish, you're sadly mistaken. Remember that this is my territory. You cannot conquer me turf while I stand for it."

"Pretty soon you're gonna be lying face-first on the floor for it too."

"You underestimate me. Why do you think I kept you alive to this point?"

Bumble Bee raised an eyebrow in realization. "So, you're saying you want to take us down yourself, huh?"

"Of course. I could have done away with you a long time ago but after all the trouble you've caused me in the past; I simply couldn't allow you to pass away without giving myself the pleasure of personally ripping out your hearts."

"Don't even think for a second it'll be that easy, Blood. We've taken you down before and we can do it again!"

The Titans readied themselves fro battle. Bumble Bee drew out her twin stingers and aimed them ready at Blood, Aqualad struck a pose while Speedy slung an arrow onto his bow. Brother Blood grinned cockily at them, somewhat amused it seemed.

"An interesting theory of yours, Bumble Bee…" Brother Blood's hands started glowing red. "Let's test it out, shall we?"

Blood charged towards the Titans, hands glowing crimson.

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In another part of the facility.

Silicis has followed the troop of white-suited henchmen this far; into a large empty space filled with nothing. She wondered for a moment if she actually lost track of them and lost them entirely. She couldn't accept that readily. One of her most important targets was with that troop and she'd hate to think that she really did lose them.

She looked around the space she was in. It was familiar but also different. The closest thing it reminded her of was the garage Speedy and herself entered through as well as became separated when they encountered those three stonecutters. Except this place was more…complete.

Unlike the last one, this garage had elevated walkways and balconies, assumingly for crew members. There were also more lights so the place was slightly brighter than the last. But just like the last, this place was still unfinished. The ceiling and most of the walls were still bare soil and needed some panels. On random spots around the space were several piles of dug-up earth.

Silicis figured that she chased the troop of white-suited henchmen so far that she ended up in the opposite side of where she came in. If she wanted to find her friends now, she'd have to backtrack. She didn't worry so much though, her friends are quite capable and she felt that she didn't need to worry so much.

As Silicis floated forward slowly on her floating piece of rock, she pondered some more on where Chang's troop might have ended up in and wondered if she followed them right. Her doubts were immediately dismissed as six armed white-suited henchmen suddenly leapt off the surrounding elevated walkways and surrounded her. Silicis, instead of showing shock, showed annoyance in her face.

"I don't have time for guys like you!" exclaimed Silicis.

Silicis slapped her palm onto the rock she was standing on. Instantly, the rock exploded into several glowing golden pieces. The pieces didn't just fly in random directions however. Every piece that was broken off flew straight into one of the white-suited henchmen right in the face. The men didn't see it coming and were instantly knocked out.

Silicis now stood on the floor surrounded by unconscious men in white suits. She was now sure that she did follow the troop to the right place. Now, where is Professor Chang hiding? She decided to ask

"Where the hell are you hiding you old bastard?" she yelled into the seemingly open space.

Her voice echoed in the garage and didn't receive a response for a while. Nevertheless, she waited patiently knowing she'll get an answer, one way or another. She didn't have to wait long as sudden mechanical sounds started echoing through the space, Silicis stood fearlessly.

"You just never learn do you?" said a familiar electronic voice.

From the ceiling, some thirty yards from Silicis, came down a twenty-foot mechanical insect of sorts. It was basically a giant globe that resembled an eye that was colored in a glossy white with a red pupil, From the globe's top parts stemmed out four mechanical legs that had a several number of joints that all ended in a two-pronged claws that served as feet.

Silicis simply stared unaffected. "I suppose you're gonna 'teach me a lesson', huh?"

"I am a Professor," said Chang's electronic voice, "it's my job…"

"The only person who's gonna be schooled by the end of this day is you!"

Silicis spread out her arms which started glowing bright gold. From all different places, rocks and soil began gathering around her in the familiar fashion of her last encounter with gigantic machines. Soon the girl was completely covered in another cloud of earthen materials. The mechanical insect stood motionless, keeping a watchful eye.

From out of the cloud which slowly dissipated, the Stone Dragon came charging out towards the mechanical insect which was ready and waiting.

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Author's note: Sorry this took a while to be uploaded. I had so much stuff getting in my way. The next chapter will be the final chapter and will be followed by a short epilogue as well. It will also take a while so pleas bear with me. As usual, Pls. R&R!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: You know…

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In the Control Room.

Speedy fell on his back onto the floor. He groaned in pain as his spine took much of the blow and was feeling like it was being electrocuted. Brother Blood took this opportunity to try and skewer the archer. Brother Blood charged at Speedy's fallen form. Speedy, not wanting to end up with a hole in his mid-section, quickly rolled off to the side to avoid the attack.

Brother Blood's crimson-glowing hand embedded deep into the floor having missed Speedy. He tried to pull it out fast but was interrupted as he looked up to see Aqualad coming towards him. By the time Blood released his arm off of the floor, Aqualad was already upon him, delivering a swift kick to Blood's chest.

"Argh!"

Blood shot back straight into a control panel which broke-up into hundreds of pieces that littered the floor. Brother Blood quickly picked himself up much faster this time in time to react to Bumble Bee. The Titan leader was flying down towards Brother Blood like a dive bomber. When she came to a close enough to strike at, Blood swung a crimson fist at her.

To his surprise, she suddenly disappeared. Bumble Bee had shrunk herself into the size of a grain of rice and moved behind Blood. She turned back into full size while still in mid-air and gave Blood a swift kick in the back.

Brother Blood stumbled forwards for a while but quickly regained his composure. He looked up and saw Speedy aiming an arrow at him. As speedy fired, Blood merely grinned. The evil genius grabbed the arrow in mid-air and threw it back like an oversized dart back at Speedy, The masked archer's eyes went wide as he quickly ducked back down. The arrow missed him by inches and exploded on the wall behind him.

Blood turned his attention to the other teen in front of him. Aqualad appeared a few feet from where Speedy stood and as now facing Blood. Aqualad slapped a fist on the floor. Moments later, water pipes in the floor bursts out and aimed their openings towards Brother Blood. Aqualad threw a hand out towards Brother Blood.

Jets of water spewed out from the pipes and shot out towards Brother Blood. Blood grinned once again and held out both his arms towards the approaching torrent. As the water came upon him, Blood's hand glowed extra crimson. As the water touched his hands, it instantly evaporated. This caused a cloud of vapor to form and fill the entirety of the room.

Aqualad stopped his attack seeing that it had no effect. After a while, he couldn't see anything at all with such a thick cloud hanging over the room. All of a sudden, Blood came flying out of the cloud and crouched right in front of Aqualad. Aqualad stumbled Backwards in surprise and left himself open for a brief amount of time.

Blood spun around and kick Aqualad in the chest. The Atlantean flew threw the air and smacked right into the door. Brother Blood immediately spun to where Speedy was standing and backhanded the archer on the cheek sending Speedy back onto the floor. Brother Blood was about to land a finishing blow when a stinging sensation on his shoulder distracted him.

Looking to the side, Brother Blood saw Bumble Bee back up in the air and shooting away with her twin stingers. Blood started to hop backwards evading the barrage of laser fire from Bumble Bee high up in the air. Blood kept hopping back until he disappeared into the vapor around them. Bumble Bee stopped firing since she lost her target and was in the process of looking for him again.

She was off-guard for but a moment when she went looking for the villain. Brother Blood readily took advantage of this fact and pouncing on her from out of the cloud of steam. He did well in tackling her back down to the ground and keeping her there with the weight of his body. Bumble Bee struggled in vain to free herself from Blood's grasp.

Meanwhile, Speedy was just recovering from his most recent fall. Like everyone else in the room he soon discovered the difficulty of operating in a zero-visibility environment. Being who he is, he decided to find a way of resolving the problem. He took out an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at nothing in particular as it seemed.

Speedy let loose the arrow. Somewhere along the arrow's journey it hit something and exploded. Speedy's already predicted the following outcome which actually came through. The energy arrow exploded on impact and shattered the surrounding glass walls of the Control Room. A cascading effect caused all the galls to shatter and fall off.

The newly ventilated room suddenly experienced a sudden gust of wind from the released pressure. Al of the steam which was fogging up the place suddenly flew out making everything visible again. Brother Blood felt the sudden breeze and was momentarily distracted. Bumble Bee found an opportunity in that and managed to free an arm.

Before Blood even knew what was going on, Bumble Bee was already beating his face in with her now free arm. Bumble Bee threw punch after punch at Blood's face effectively stunning him and causing his grip on her to loosen up considerably. Bee folded her legs under his chest and, using all her might, of her body.

Blood flipped off of Bumble Bee and right out the broken. As evil as villains go Brother Blood is always part of the top group, but that doesn't mean in anyway that having the man fall out of the window was anything near what Bumble bee intended to do. She quickly got up and stared out the widow through the completely clear air.

"Ooops!" she exclaimed.

"Oops is right!" said Speedy.

They all rushed to the edge of the window to try and spot where Brother Blood fell off. Looking down they saw the vastness of the pit that contained the main component for the GeoHammer. The giant needle pointing downward dwarfed the Titans by many degrees. They looked down and could find no sign of Brother Blood.

"Ohh… Titaaans…" Blood's voice called out softly.

The Titans immediately turned their heads to their right, the direction where the voice came from. Brother Blood was standing on a nearby balcony that circumscribed the entire chamber, one of many through out the pit. Blood was ginning and his hands were glowing brighter by the second.

"This isn't good," pointed out Aqualad.

And he was right. Blood reeled back and threw his crimson arms out ward towards the part where the Control Room met the rocky wall. From his hand shot out long tendrils of blood red energy. The tendrils shot out like missiles and impacted with the wall. The energy was strong enough that it broke off the entire Control Room from the wall of the pit.

Inside the doomed room, the Titans looked behind them and saw the walls and the floor spontaneously cracking and exploding. The felt a sudden jolt as the entire room suddenly began to lean forward. They immediately almost lost their balance except for Bumble Bee who immediately took to the air. Speedy and Aqualad fell to the floor and started to slide off the incline.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Bumble Bee.

She flew down and reached both her hands out towards the boys. The boys in turn reached their hands out to her. Bumble Bee grabbed both of them, one in each hand, quickly enough so that they didn't fall off. They all then flew right out the open window to avoid being entombed in the collapsing Control Room.

The Control Room completely broke off the wall with loud deafening creaking sounds. The entirety of the structure then fell the whole length of the pit. It crashed down on the bottom most floor, exploding into millions of indiscernible pieces. Blood looked down from where he was standing and the Titans looked down from where they were hanging in the air.

Blood turned his eyes away from the wreck and looked back up at the Titans who did the same to him. Blood grinned again, his arm glowing crimson. He looked like he was about to shoot out another energy beam only now directly at the Titans. This, of course, worried them.

"Drop me!" suddenly exclaimed Speedy.

Bumble Bee looked down at him confused. "What?"

"Just do it! Now!"

Bumble Bee eventually complied with Speedy's request and let go of his hand just as Brother Blood let out a shot of crimson energy. The sudden release of the masked archer's weight caused Bumble Bee to shoot up a bit along with Aqualad. As Bumble Bee and Aqualad went up and Speedy fell down, the blood red energy beam shot between them and missed them entirely and ended up hitting the far wall.

Speedy, while plummeting to the ground, quickly reached into his quiver and retrieved a grappling arrow. He shot the arrow into the ceiling above him. The arrow trailed behind it a thin yet strong cable that was being fed from Speedy's utility belt which was now essentially his lifeline.

As intended, the arrow stuck itself to the rocky ceiling. Speedy felt the cable from his belt to the arrow loose all it's slack and he swung himself in the direction of the balcony where Brother Blood was on. Blood didn't notice Speedy until the last second. By the time the evil genius could turn around, the masked archer had already landed on the balcony and was already aiming at Blood with three arrows slung onto his bow.

Speedy shot all three arrows simultaneously at Brother Blood. From the archer's point of view, it seemed that Blood didn't have enough time to react as all three arrows seemed to meet their mark and explode on impact. This created a cloud of smoke which momentarily blocked Speedy's sight of the evil genius.

When the smoke cleared, Speedy's confidence dropped as he saw Brother Blood was still standing and barely hurt. The old man had both arms crossed in front of his face and upper torso. Both arms were fully glowing crimson. This was apparently enough to block all of Speedy's explosive arrows.

Speedy knew he needed to change strategies. He reached back into his quiver again but Blood wasn't nice enough to actually give the archer another chance to attack. Brother Blood struck his palm onto the ground which caused a ripple of crimson energy to snake towards Speedy. The ripple of energy stopped at Speedy's feet and exploded, catapulting the archer some ten feet into the air and back down on his back.

Blood grinned at the success of his counter-attack. He was about to rush to the now vulnerable Speedy when he was suddenly distracted by someone yelling out: "Hey!" Blood looked up and saw Bumble Bee with Aqualad hanging from her arms swooping down on him.

"How's you catching arm?" rhetorically asked Aqualad.

Bumble Bee swung him around once in mid-air to gain a little momentum and then tossed Aqualad towards Brother Blood. The man couldn't react fast enough or even think of an effective countermeasure. Aqualad came down on Brother Blood like a hawk to its prey and tackled the evil genius to the ground.

They both rolled around on the floor for a while before Aqualad kicked off of Blood. Aqualad was back on his feet in a few seconds while Blood remained on the floor for a few moments more, rubbing his sore chest. Just as he was getting up, Blood sensed something behind him and looked back.

Bumble Bee was again swooping down upon him and began shooting away with her twin stingers. Blood managed to evade this first barrage of attack but forgot exactly how close Bumble Bee managed to be until she was already sending a foot to his face. Blood fell back down to the ground. Bumble bee landed next to Aqualad and they were soon joined by Speedy.

Blood eventually recovered and got back up on his feet. He turned to see the three Titans together again looking ready to fight. Blood simply gave them a smug look and spit out a wad of saliva and blood to the side. If he was even remotely nervous about the fight, Blood didn't show any sign of it. The Titans were nervous about that but they didn't let that show either.

"You can't win, Blood," said Bumble Bee.

"We've been through this before," said Speedy, "We all know you're just gonna go down one way or another."

"So make it easier on all of us," continued Aqualad, "just surrender already!"

Blood simply stood there, unmoving and unspeaking. He continued to give the Titans that same smug look on his face. It was notable that his grin was getting wider and wider every second until eventually his teeth show. His eyes narrowed as his smile widened. Soon enough, Brother Blood was outright laughing a the Titans making them even more nervous.

"Exactly what is it that you find so freakin' hilarious?" asked Speedy.

Blood stopped himself laughing in order to answer him. "Surrender, you say? Where's the fun in that, I ask you?"

"You really are a sick, demented, old bastard, aren't you?" said Bumble Bee.

"Has it ever been question that he wasn't?" rhetorically asked Aqualad.

"Oh, surely you can't expect me to surrender now that everything I've planned is coming along nicely? Now that would be truly insane for me to do."

They all glared at him. "What?"

"The only reason any of you survived up to this moment is that I wished it to be. The GeoHammer may take some damage here and there but all that can be repaired. However what I've really been asking for all this time was on final chance of ripping you children apart with my bare hands."

Blood suddenly spread out both his arms out. Immediately, crimson energy began to fluctuate all throughout his armor. At first it was only his gauntlets that were glowing crimson, but now his breast-plat and his boots were now also glowing in the same fashion. Brother stared down at the Titans.

"I've decided once and for all that none of you will be walking out of here alive. You children have been a thorn on my side for far too long."

"Oh yeah?" retorted Speedy, "Well, you can just try, you old bastard!"

"Oh, believe me, I have every intention to…"

Blood charged at them again.

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At the generator room.

The twins, Más and Menos where zipping around the room in a blur of red and white which they did out of necessity. All around them where at least a dozen HIVE drones trying desperately clamp down their claws on the twins or hit them with lasers.

So far the twins have been successful of evading the barrage of gunfire and attempted grabs at their persons, but that wasn't leading to much of anything. They knew they had to fight back somehow but with such overwhelming odds, they could barely afford to stop and catch their breath. They had to think of something.

"¿Qué podemos hacer?"asked Menos.

"Tenemos que encontrar una manera alrededor de sus ataques," said Más.

The twins stopped right in front of one of the drones. The drone looked down and saw the twins. It immediately tried to grab at the twins with one of its mighty claws. It failed as the twins zipped out of the claw's way. The claw ended up embedded in the floor. The twins ended up on the drones back.

"¡Aquí!" they called out to the other drones.

Reacting accordingly, several drones that were in range of them quickly aimed their blasters at the twins who were grinning confidently. The all started shooting a barrage of laser fire towards where the twins were perched on. In turn, the twins quickly dashed off to side.

At the same time the twins did so, the drone they were on, now free of the weight on its back, sprang back up to full height once again, just in time to receive all the laser fire that would have been intended for Más and Menos. The drone's upper body was completely incinerated and soon what was left of the body collapsed to the floor.

The other drones in the area responsible for killing off one of their own simply stared at the site dumbfounded. They may be good for battle but that said nothing of their intelligence. The twins were standing to the side mockingly laughing at the dumb drones for their mistake.

"Una lástima," said the twins, "Querer tratar otra vez?"

The drones snapped out of their trance and reaimed their blasters. At that point, Más and Menos looked at each other, smiled, and nodded. They now knew that this was going to be a piece of cake. The grabbed each other's wrist and got ready. The drones started firing again and the twins responded by evading each and every blast.

Again, after a short while of zipping around, the twins stopped in front of another drone to reapeat the process over again. After the drone failed to grab them, the twins ended up on its back. The twins would call the attention to the other drones. The other drones would open fire but by then, the twins would already be gone and leave the poor drone they were on to take the heat.

They repeated this process several times , eventually dwindling the number of foes on the battle field. It was laughably ridiculous that the drones never cared to learn the twins' strategy as they continually shot and destroyed one of their own in an attempt to hit their real targets. Soon there were only two drones left, surrounded by the burnt remains of their fallen comrades.

Más and Menos suddenly appeared in between the two remaining drones, Más standing on top of Menos' shoulders. Both twins were grinning at the two drones.

"La gente es tan patética como vienen," they bothe said

Both drones aimed at the twins. Both drones fired their blasters. The twins predictably disappeared in a blur of red and white. The lasers of either drone traveled through air… and hit the opposite drone on the other side. Both drones now had large holes going through what would be their heads. Out of commission, both drones fell backwards in a heap.

Más and Menos reappeared in the center of the room They high-fived each other as they shouted their slogan. "¡Más y Menos, sí, podemos!"

"La fiesta está terminada, supongo," said Más.

"Hagamos el lo que vinimos hacer," said Menos.

Both twins calmly walked across the room to where the control panel was. They would reach it, operate the power generators with it, and decommission this entire facility. Once that was done, the world would be able to feel a little safer.

Mid-way on their low-speed trek, the twins were barely aware of a 'whurring' sound coming from above them. They stopped and looked at each other worriedly, wondering what the sound was. Listening closely, they traced the source of the sound and looked up.

In the middle of the ceiling a large panel opened up and some kind of machine was coming down from it. It looked like robotic arm of sorts that was hanging down from the ceiling. The twins thought it was unusual that there would be a mechanical arm up there at that particular location since it seemed too short to reach anything of significance.

A closer inspection of the arm revealed a surprising fact. The twins suddenly looked a bit more nervous than before as the large mechanical arm pointed towards them. But it was clear then that iw wasn't a mechanical arm. It was a mechanical turret.

Suddenly and without warning, the turret began firing.

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At the second garage.

The large, white, metallic Insect was near the middle of the room. Its red eye glowed and continuously as it shot out blast after blast of red laser fire towards its intended target, The Stone Dragon.  
The target in question was flying around the room, its stone skeletal wings glowing bright gold.

The scenario played out where the Insect was some kind of anti-aircraft artillery trying to shoot down a offending enemy in the air. The Stone Dragon flew circles around the room, evading every laser blast thus far. The Insect on the other hand stayed still in the middle of the room, rotating its body to aim while remaining in the same small general area.

The Insect didn't bother moving from where it stood and fired from. It only had to keep this up until the Stone dragon decides it's too tired or if it gets a lucky shot. It saw no reason to move and advance on the enemy as long as it can keep it at bay like this. It was only trying to stall for time anyway.

The Stone Dragon knew it needed a new strategy if it wanted the battle to progress at all. Playing the defensive position for too long would not only waste its time but waste precious energy that it would surely need for a later concern. So it went on the offensive as soon as it found an opening.

The Stone Dragon flew low to the ground this time at the fastest speed it could manage. As it did so, its mighty wings kicked up a lot of dust that was already on the floor from construction efforts. The ploy seemed to work as the cloud of dust that was kicked up impaired the Insect's accuracy.

The Stone dragon managed to get close enough in order to strike. It swung out its stony claw towards the main body of the Insect. However, the machine was not without its trickery. Just before the Stone Dragon could swipe its claw out, the Insect spread out all it legs on the ground, in effect dropping its entire body down to the floor.

The Stone Dragon missed it entirely and flew over and past the Insect. As soon as it knew it missed, the Stone Dragon tried to stop its flight quickly and turn around to face the Insect. But it was too slow as by the time it did so, the Insect had already sprang back up, turned around to aim, and fired a powerful laser blast towards the Stone Dragon.

The Stone dragon was caught totally off-guard by this attack. The laser blast hit it in its stomach, and managed to throw the creature on its back, crushing an unfinished walkway while doing so. While the Stone dragon was on its back, the Insect decided to move in.

Reeling up its legs, the Insect catapulted itself up into the air and drop right on top of the Stone Dragon. But it also turned out that the Stone Dragon was not without its own trickery. As the Insect was about to come down on it, the large rocky reptilian stretched a claw out and pulled itself to the side. The Insect missed it entirely and found itself staring down a bare floor.

The Stone Dragon didn't waste time and quickly sprung back up on its feet. Without loosing momentum, it fluidly followed up by swinging its long stone tail towards the Insect. The Insect was unable to react quickly enough or even see the attack coming. It was caught of guard and knocked away a good distance.

The Insect crashed into a pile of barrels then skidded on the ground. As the Insect came to a halt the Stone Dragon started charging towards it. The Insect quickly reoriented itself and was back on all four mechanical limbs, just in time to counteract the Stone Dragon that was rapidly approaching.

It raised two of its limbs while keeping the other two stable. The Dragon came at it with its stony claws and in turn the Insect caught each of the reptilian's claws with its own two free limbs. After each of the two locked at each other's limbs, it became, more or less, a pushing game.

Neither of the two refused to give in to the other. The Stone Dragon roared threateningly at its opponent, hoping to somehow intimidate it. The tactic failed to do so and the Insect responded by making its 'eye' start to glow. At that point the Stone Dragon knew what was coming and knew it had to get out of the way.

Just as the Insect fired, Stone Dragon jumped up while keeping both its claws held onto the Insect's limbs. The laser beam went under the Dragon, missing entirely. The Dragon somersaulted over the Insect, still holding onto its legs, and landed behind the Insect with its back to it.

The Dragon then pulled as hard as it can on the limbs of the giant mechanical Insect, effectively flipping the Insect over it and straight into the far wall. The Insect flailed around ion mid-air until it managed to reorient itself.

It hit the wall feet first and clamped its claws down onto the wall. It was now standing horizontally from the wall. The Stone Dragon was a bit surprised at this but only for a moment. The Insect then began to climb up the wall and onto the ceiling.

Fr the ceiling, the Insect's 'eye' aimed at the stony reptilian once again. The Dragon got ready for what was an inevitable attack. The Insect fired beam after beam of laser fire at the Stone Dragon once again, just like when they started. And just like when they started, the Dragon found itself at a slight disadvantage.

As the four-legged machine continued its relentless barrage, the Dragon was forced to evade as best it could by flying low to the ground at high-speed. Again, the Dragon found itself at a very unfavorable position not only because it was being held back but also the fact that it was forced to fly so low to the ground meant the added danger of obstacles.

In addition to dodging the laser fire from the Insect above it, the Dragon dodged various other items on the ground level like construction vehicles and unfinished elevated walkways. However, passing by one of the abandoned construction vehicles did give the Dragon a clever idea.

It flew in such a way that the Insect would not be able to read its strategy. The Dragon circled around the room and came up to a large forklift. As the Dragon approached the abandoned vehicle, it quickly spun around and batted the forklift with is long, rocky tail, sending the vehicle flying towards the ceiling-mounted Insect.

The Insect reacted predictably enough. Sensing the incoming danger, it immediately aimed it laser eye towards the flying forklift. It shot a powerful laser beam towards the forklift which destroyed the forklift in a brilliant explosion.

In this ever so brief moment of distraction, the Dragon flew in a got close enough to attack before the insect could react in any effective way. Using its immensely sharp stone claws, the Dragon swiped at the base of one of the Insect's legs and ripped it off.

The sudden loss of an appendage caused the Insect to loose its grip and suddenly fall to the floor over the stories down. It crashed in a heap on the ground, heavily damaged by the impact, it's armor started to crack in certain places.

The Dragon dropped down to the floor and face the Insect which was barely able to stand due to internal damage to it mechanical systems as well as having one less leg to stand on. The Dragon gave a confident roar towards the near-disabled Insect. The insect, surprisingly enough, stood its ground and looked to be aiming it laser eye at the Dragon again.

At the end of another ground-shaking roar, the Dragon charged at the Insect. The three-legged robot aimed and fired a powerful laser beam, however the incoming Stone Dragon dodged the laser beam by a quick side-step.

It got in close enough before the Insect was able to fire off another shot. At this opportune range, the Dragon thrust one of it claws directly into the Insect's 'eye' and violently breaking it off. With most of the laser in the Dragon's claw, the Insect was now unarmed.

The Stone Dragon took one step back from the Insect and spun its body for one last powerful tail whip. Dazed and unarmed, The insect was powerless to avoid or defend itself against the attack. The insect flew across the room and crashed into a bunch of abandoned construction vehicles that were parked too close together.

The Stone Dragon moved in closer, surveying the damage to its now fallen foe. The impact was strong enough that it ripped off another one of the Insect's legs and left the remaining two unusable. Large pieces of the Insects outer shell had broken off revealing heavily damaged internal circuitry. Most notable was that a hidden door was forcedly opened in the crash revealing the cockpit. As the Stone Dragon stood in its place, the golden shine that was coming from its eyes, wings, and multiple cracks on its body began to fade. Soon the Stone Dragon disintegrated into a pile of rocks and dirt. As the cloud of dust cleared, the lone figure of Silicis appeared, standing on a piece of floating rock.

The girl cautiously went over to the mangled-up carcass of the robotic Insect that lay still on the floor. She walked around to where the door was opened into the cockpit. She peeked ever so carefully inside the cockpit and found… nobody.

Silicis' eyes went wide. The cockpit of the giant robot Insect was completely empty. No Professor Chang. Silicis was no less than baffled. Suddenly a static sound started coming from one of the speakers inside the cockpit itself. Silicis perked her ears as the static gave way to an eerily familiar voice.

"It would seem that I have underestimated you," said Chang's electronic voice.

"Chang!" exclaimed Silicis into the cockpit, "Where the hell are you, you coward?"

Sure enough, there was microphone somewhere in the cockpit that caught Silicis' voice and allowed Professor Chang, wherever he may be, to respond.

"Somewhere out of your reach, I'm afraid."

"Why don't you come out and fight me?"

"Why should I waste my time any more than I already have? I have no need to return to that dreadful place anymore than you desire to stay in it. I have what I came for and now I'm leaving."

"But isn't this your operation? Aren't you worried me and the Titans East are gonna shut this place down?"

"Those are no longer my problems. Though I have not won this day, I'm still sure as hell not beaten yet. In the end that little side-project of my former partner an I shall not matter."

"What are you getting at, you old coot?"

"In the end, nothing shall really matter anymore. You'll see it for yourself, maybe. All that has come to pass shall prove meaningless at the eve of eventuality."

"What…?"

No response. The radio, along with everything else in the cockpit, spontaneously burned out. Circuitry started to burst into flames and black smoke soon filled the cockpit an forced Silicis to back away from the robot's remains. She was left puzzled by what Chang said lastly.

"Eve of…" she mumbled, "…what did he mean by that?"

Silicis pondered on the thought for but a few moments before she suddenly remembered a more pressing matter that needed attention. Her friends needed help and there was nothing more she could do here as of the moment.

"Forget this…" she said to herself, "You've got work to do…"

She summoned a flat piece of rock to her side and, as before, stood on top of it to use it for quick transportation. She headed directly for the exit to resume her search for her friends.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Back at the power generator room.

The twins were again running around the room at hyper-speed, evading attacks directed at them. This time they only had one problem which was a ceiling-mounted laser turret. Normally, such a weapon would pose little threat to the twins as they can usually speed past defenses like this.

The problem was the turret above them was not the usual type of defense they would normally encounter. Unlike the usual turrets, which were always too slow to do any harm to the twins when they were running at hyper-speed, this turret was actually keeping pace with the twins. It was supped up to keep up with those two.

Laser beams that were coming at rapid succession was eating at Más and Menos' heels. The twins were definitely feeling the heat of the situation as they seemed totally powerless to reach the offensive device. They tried every now and then to run up the wall at hyper-speed to reach the turret and somehow disable it but the turret was just too fast.

They were now officially in a desperate situation.

"¡Rápido¡Esta manera!" shouted Más to his brother.

Más directed them both behind one of the giant cylindrical generators and disappeared from sight. The room was designed so that there was a narrow space between the generators and the wall, strictly for maintenance purposes. It served as the twins hiding spot.

The laser turret that was mounted from the ceiling stopped firing having lost its target but that didn't mean that it was done. It simply sat idle, waiting for its targets.

Behind one of the cylindrical generators, Más and Menos were catching their breath. It was the first time they got a moment to breath from trying to dodge the lasers from the turret. They had seemingly met their match with it and needed a new strategy to if they wanted to win.

"Ahora ¿qué?" asked Menos.

"Necesitamos una nueva estrategia..." said Más.

Más peaked ever so slightly from behind the generator to see the turret. It was spinning slowly around as if searching for a target. While doing so, Más had a hand against the generator for support. As the turret came around to facing him, Más quickly ducked back to avoid being seen.

The turret didn't see anything and continued to search round the room. Behind the generator Más and Menos where safe for the moment. Más soon felt a slight tingling sensation in his hand. He realized that he still had his hand against the generator.

He let his hand off of the generator and the sensation immediately disappeared. Putting his hand back against the generator caused the sensation to come back after a while. Through that he got an idea.

"Dame tu mano," he said to his brother Menos.

Menos gave a hand towards Más who took it. Más then held out his hand towards the generator but not exactly touching it. He then started to spin his wrist around like he was drawing a small circle in the air with his hand. He picked up speed until his hand was just a white blur in the air.

Más kept this up until something happened that he was hoping to happen. Suddenly, a small electrical lightning show started to dance between Más' hand and the generator. Streams of bright lightning jumped in between the youngster's hand and to the outer shell of the generator. Having achieved the desired result of his little experiment, Más grinned.

"Tengo una idea," said Más.

"¿Qué es?" asked Menos.

Más turned to his brother and began to explain to him the details of his idea. Meanwhile, the ceiling-mounted turret continued to search for targets and found non. Being a machine, it had plenty of patience. Behind the power generator, having heard of his brother's plan, Menos grinned.

"Parece bueno," said Menos, "Hagámoslo cierto."

"Sí," said Más.

The turret continued to revolve slowly, searching the room. The twins were peeking out from behind the generator. They then looked at each other and smiled affirmatively. Time to execute their plan. The held on to each other's hand and stood side-by-side.

They dashed, but not on the floor as usual. Instead, they dashed up and across the wall behind the generators, circumnavigating the room. Alerted to the sudden movement, the turret responded by quickly aiming in the appropriate direction and started shooting.

Every time the twins would appear behind a generator, the turret would let out laser fire that would eat at their heels but never hit them. The twins knew that if they just kept moving at that speed, they didn't have to worry about getting hit. They simply kept running horizontally across the wall, circling the room over ten dozen times every second.

Where was this going? It became clear only after few moment of the twins running around the room by the wall. Little by little, sparks, which started out small then started to grow bigger and more numerous, jumped from one tall cylindrical power generator to another. Soon enough, there was a virtual ring of lightning that encircled the room.

As most fans of the Titans East, Más and Menos' powers are closely linked with electricity. Running around the room like they did was having the same effects as a turbine engine. The circular motion around the generators was causing a huge amount of static electricity to be created. But static electricity was not the goal of the twins then and there.

What they really wanted to happen was a by-product of static electricity: static sling. That's what happens when oppositely charged particles attract each through static electricity, like when a sock fresh from the drier clings to a shirt, or when a spark jumps from your finger to a doorknob after rubbing your bare feet on a plush carpet, or the most famous example: lightning.

And just like lightning, static cling is attracted to the nearest conductor. Just like how lightning always seem to strike the tallest lightning rod first before others. But in this particular case, the room the twins were in didn't have a lightning rod.

Instead, it had a ceiling-mounted laser turret.

As predicted by the twins, eventually a strong surge of electricity shot towards the laser turret. The single surge was enough to almost completely disintegrate the turret. All that was left was a charred stub that hung from the ceiling and several burnt debris that fell to the floor.

Más and Menos slowed down which caused the ring of electricity to dissipate entirely after a few seconds. They were again standing in the middle of the room, the same as they started when this whole debacle came crashing down on them. At least now things have finally calmed down and it looked like it was gonna stay that way.

Not wanting to wait before Murphy's Law would take effect, they both rushed to the control panel they spotted earlier. They took a look at it and it was actually pretty simple to operate. The quickly figured out the controls and went to work shutting down the generators one by one. Soon, all of the five cylindrical generators went down with long sighing hums and the entire facility switched to back-up power.

The twins knew their job was done here and they quickly rushed out the room. Their friends might need help.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

In the main cavern.

Brother Blood was squaring it of with Aqualad. The two were locked in a battle of speed and skill in the martial arts. Aqualad did know a few things about martial arts from his training back at Atlantis with Aquaman. But Brother Blood was leagues ahead of Aqualad, in terms of both skill and experience.

Brother Blood threw a punch which Aqualad predictably blocked by raising one of his arms. Brother Blood grinned at this as he launched his other hand and grabbed Aqualad's raised arm and proceeded to toss the Atlantean boy over his head and over the balcony they were on.

Aqualad went flying through the air and went over the edge of the balcony. Thankfully, Aqualad managed to grab onto the railing before he flew beyond the edge and saved himself from turning into a stain at the bottom most floor of the cavern. He was however helpless now while he was hanging that way. This opportunity was seen by Brother Blood.

Blood threw his arm forward towards Aqualad, shooting off a blast of crimson energy at the helpless Titan. Aqualad was quick enough to see the attack coming and flipped himself upwards and over the railing. The beam of crimson energy sailed past him form below, just inches from his body.

Aqualad landed back on his feet on the balcony once again. Upon looking to where brother blood was, the evil genius was already charging at him. Aqualad couldn't react in time and nearly found himself eating Blood's crimson pulsing fist nut thankfully he had back-up.

Blood wasn't able to look to his side being focused on the Atlantean so he wasn't prepared for Bumble Bee who dived in on him from above and tackled him before he could reach Aqualad. Bumble Bee and Brother Blood crashed hard onto the floor and rolled around before Brother Blood forcedly shoved her off of him.

Bumble Bee, instead of falling to the ground, immediately took to the air and drew out her twin stingers just as Brother Blood was getting back up. Bumble Bee started to shot bolts of electricity to rain down on Brother Blood. Being pretty nimble for his age, Blood managed to evade most of the shots or swat them away with his crimson glowing hands.

Again the evil genius was distracted from an immanent threat that was about to come from his side. Speedy had stepped up and slung a new arrow onto his bow, one of his special ones. He aimed carefully and launched the projectile.

The arrow flew at higher-than-usual-speed towards Brother Blood and he never saw it coming until it was too late. Once the arrow impacted, Blood got something he wasn't expecting to come from one of Speedy's regular arrows. As the arrowhead hit him and exploded, it released a foamy-like substance which covered the villain completely with in a few seconds.

As Blood was seemingly drowning in the foamy substance, Speedy grinned from where he stood and was soon joined by Aqualad and Bumble Bee. As the foam stopped spreading, it seemed to harden like rock. Bumble Bee and Aqualad looked at Speedy inquisitively.

"Cool arrow," said Bumble Bee, "What was it?"

"It's something I've been meaning to try out," said Speedy, "The foam is a new synthetic substance developed by Wayne Industries. Once exposed to air, it spreads then hardens like concrete."

"So, what about Blood?" asked Aqualad.

"Oh, don't worry about him. The stuff is porous so he'll be able to breath just fine."

Suddenly, the cemented foam that held brother Blood started to shake violently, drawing the attention of the Titans to it. Cracks began to form on the hardened foam and crimson light started to leak through those cracks. Inevitably enough, the hardened foam exploded in a brilliant flash of crimson light.

The Titans were actually thrown down onto the floor by the burst of the explosion, The quickly started to get back up to their feet to see Brother Blood standing strong once again, his limbs and parts of his torso glowing bright red. He was grinning down at the recovering Titans.

"Surely you can do better than that?" he mocked.

"Man, you are really starting to get on my nerves!" exclaimed Aqualad.

Aqualad raised his hand towards a bunch of water pipes attached to the bottom of the balcony above them. They burst and spewed forth a torrent of water which snaked towards Aqualad. As the water orbited around Aqualad's body, he glared at Brother Blood who annoyingly returned smug grin. Aqualad threw one arm forward a single torrent of water shot towards Brother Blood.

"Don't you ever learn?" said the villain.

Blood knew how to deal with this attack as he did before. He raised both of his crimson glowing hands to block the incoming torrent of water. As before the water instantly evaporated upon contact and lost all its force. Blood grinned thinking he had once again outsmarted the Titans but he didn't see what came next.

As the steam built up from the effect of Blood's crimson glowing arms, a second torrent of water actually snaked all the way around Brother Blood staying close to the floor. The torrent end up behind the villain and before Blood could see it coming it sprang up and hit Blood on the back, throwing him onto the floor face first.

"Ugh!"

Blood was recovering from the fall as fast as he can but Aqualad didn't want to give him the chance. The Atlantean called for the water to form into a large ball over Brother Blood's head. Blood was now standing up again and saw the giant ball of water above him. At that precise moment, Aqualad dropped the ball of water down onto Blood.

Blood clenched his fists and bent down with his knees. As the ball of water was about to drown him, Blood sprang off of the ground with his feet and at the same time raised both his glowing red arms up over his head. He effectively burned right through the giant ball of water and hended up high in the air as what remained of the ball splashed violently on the floor.

While hanging in mid-air, Blood swung out both his hands towards Aqualad who was still a bit distracted from his own attack. From out of Blood's crimson glowing hands shot out bolts of energy that rocketed towards the hapless Atlantean prince. Aqualad didn't see the beams coming in time to make any effective countermeasure and they hit him dead-on.

"Argh!"

Aqualad fell to the floor, momentarily stunned by the blast. Brother Blooded landed smoothly back on the ground and was about to take another shot at Aqualad's hapless form. He was distracted by a whistling sound coming from behind him. He turned his head and saw one of Speedy's arrows flying to his face.

With lightning-quick reflexes Brother Blood turned around and swiped the arrow away with a crimson glowing hand. The arrow immediately changed direction and exploded on a nearby wall. Speedy was not deterred by this setback and lived up to his name by continuously shooting arrow after arrow towards Brother Blood at a blistering pace.

Blood did a good job of swiping one arrow after another and dodging a few but found that he could do little else than that. Stuck in this defensive position, he was vulnerable, something Bumble Bee planned to exploit. The Titan leader swooped down from above, keeping the size of a grain of rice.

Blood never saw her coming and by the time he did notice her, she was already back to her normal size and delivering a foot to his face. Blood flew all the way to the rocky wall of the cavern, a little stunned. Bumble Bee planted both feet on the ground and charged up her twin stingers.

Likewise, Brother Blood was charging up energy in his arms and looked to be preparing one huge blast of crimson energy. The two aimed at each other, Bumble Bee with her stingers and Blood with his glowing palms. They fired at each other at the same time.

Both shots met in mid-air and exploded in a brilliant flash of mixed red and yellow sparks. Bumble Bee was forced to turn her head away from the flash of light that resulted since it nearly blinded her. Once the flash was gone and Bumble Bee turned her head, Blood was already charging at her.

Blood gave a swift kick towards Bumble Bee which threw her all the way to the railing. She hit the railing and was stopped from falling. She quickly recovered and looked towards Brother Blood who was again charging at her. Thinking quickly, Bumble Bee shrunk herself out of sight and Bloods fist swiped at nothing but air.

Bumble Bee, while in her minute size, quickly flew in behind Brother Blood and prepared to knock him out. Either Blood had eyes at the back of his head, or he was just expecting that to happen, Blood quickly spun around and managed to slap Bumble Bee in the face and throw her to the floor, slightly stunned.

Blood was getting ready to finish the job when Speed came barreling down on him, swinging his bow like a staff. Brother Blood faced Speedy in time and grabbed at the bow just as the archer swung at the villain's face. Speedy tried to force the bow out of Blood's grip but to no avail. Blood grinned then gave a quick knee to Speedy's stomach.

"Oof!"

Blood then freed one hand and violently shoved Speedy back and away. Speedy stumbled backwards before finding his feet. Looking back up at Brother Blood, Speedy saw the evil genius throw the bow towards him like a boomerang. Speedy was hit by his own bow right in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the floor.

Blood stood smugly over all three of the fallen Titans, clearly satisfied in the knowledge that the battle would almost certainly go his way. The Titans groaned in pain as they slowly recovered and got back to their feet.

"I thought you were better than that, Titans," said Brother Blood, "You barely present a challenge anymore, and I'm suppose to be weaker then I was back then too. I guess I can't expect much from such… lousy students in the first place."

"What did you say?" asked Bumble Bee.

"I tried to make you stronger, and all I asked was your total cooperation. But, as we all know, you refused my very generous offer."

"You can take that offer and shove it up your--"

"As much as I want to stand around here chatting with you, I've much work to do, much things to destroy and rebuild on."

Blood reached into his belt and retrieved a PDA. "It's time for the world to say hello to a new order."

Blood was about to push a button on the PDA that probably would have activated the GeoHammer and launch the attack. But Just as he was about to push the button, the space suddenly turned three shades darker and a little more yellow. Blood, surprised at the turn of events, looked around him to investigate.

All around them the lights began to dim then fade out. In their place were yellow emergency lights that light up, covering the area in a yellow haze. Brother Blood looked down on his PDA and it displayed one message: POWER FAILURE: SWITHING TO AUXILERY.

"Power failure?" inquired Blood, "What is this?"

"¡La caballería!"

Blood turned his attention to see a blur of white and red come at him and hit him right at the jaw. Blood stumbled back and was again hit in the stomach before he knew what happened. Lastly, the blur of white and red blew past him and tripped him. Blood fell to the floor on his chest.

He looked up and saw Más and Menos standing over him making faces in mocking. Blood quickly got up to his feet and swung a fist at the twins but missed the twins again as they disappeared in a blur of white and red again.

The twins reappeared next to the rest of the Titans who have now recovered and were standing tall once again. Blood turned to face them. They were all smirking as if knowing they just won something.

"Don't underestimate us, Blood," said Bumble Bee, "we have more than a few tricks up our sleeves."

Brother Blood didn't look intimidated at all. In fact, he started chuckling a short while after Bumble Bee was finished speaking. As his laughter got louder, the Titans simultaneously grew more worried.

"Shutting down the power?" asked Brother Blood, "Really now, Bumble Bee, it's a nice idea and all, but please, don't think I'm ever that simple."

He raised his PDA, pushing a few more buttons to activate some function the Titans can't see. Nevertheless, they readied themselves for absolutely anything. As Brother Blood apparently finished doing what he was supposed to do on the mini-computer and then looked back at the Titans.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve too," said Blood, then he pushed a button.

Instantly, all the lights in the room that were out came back on and all the emergency lights went out. The room was once again brightly lit by many fully powered florescent bulbs. The Titans stare in wonder and shock. This was unexpected indeed.

"Did you really think I didn't plan for such an even as a power failure?" continued Brother Blood, "there half-a-dozen, pre-charged, back-up, stores connected directly to this cavern. Even if the rest of the facility is still powerless, the stores are enough to run this particular facility. As well as fire off one shot from the GeoHammer."

"What?" exclaimed Bumble Bee.

"So you see, your efforts are worthless," with that, Blood pushed a button on his PDA.

The needle above started humming as it started to operate. The tip where the golden crystal was began to glow brightest. The thicker, upper part of he needle began to pulsate in golden hues as halos of golden light started to appear around the needle. Soon a beam of gold shot straight down and into the pit below which illuminated the entire room.

The Titans stood back, helpless in stopping what was transpiring. They didn't have the means to counter any of this and were utterly hopeless in their current state. Brother Blood simply kept on chuckling, assured of his victory.

"Now begins a new era!" exclaimed Blood into the entire cavern.

"Think again!"

A girl's voice echoed throughout the caverns. The instant that happened, the beam of golden light began to flicker away to the surprise of Brother Blood as well as the Titans. Looking up, the Titans and the demented villain saw that the beam was redirected, now going towards an unseen source on a higher balcony.

What the six below did not see was that Silicis has arrived on the scene and was standing on a balcony closer to the top than theirs. The beam of golden light seemed to be feeding directly into her as she stood her ground with arms outstretched forward. She was directly connected to the tip of the needle via the beam of golden energy.

She didn't look uncomfortable in anyway. After all she was in her element now. This was her power that she was taking back from this thing. But the problem was there was a little too much power in it. Silicis knew that it would be useless to try and contain all that by herself. So she switched tactics.

Silicis stopped trying to absorb the power coming from the crystal at the tip of the needle. Instead, she mentally froze it there. She didn't allow any more terrakinetic force to come out of the crystal as she forced all of that power to contain itself in that little space.

She may not be able to hold all that power being generated, but she was betting that the crystal can't either.

Soon enough, her theory played out as she'd hoped. The crystal overloaded. There was a brilliant flash of gold as the crystal exploded and released a wave of terrakinetic energy that spread through out the entire cavern. A brief earthquake resulted, rocking all the occupants of the cavern to fall over. Cracks formed on the rock walls.

As the shaking started to subside, rocks that were shaken off the wall began to fall. Cracks spread from the initial quake spread and widened. Chunks of the wall fell straight down onto the cavern floor. Some of the larger chunks hit a balcony or two on its way down, ripping off chunks of the balcony as well.

One particularly large chunk of rock broke off from the wall above a particular balcony, the one where the five members of the Titans East and Brother blood was standing on, began to fall. The Titans had already recovered and moved out of the way while Brother Blood was just finding his feet. The villain looked up and saw a large chunk of the earth coming down on him. He couldn't react except to say one word.

"Dammit…"

The huge chunk of rock crushed the balcony and fell straight to the bottom floor of the cavern, shattering into a million pieces. The Titans took a moment to look down over the edge of the balcony that was left and see down below. Nothing moved as the dust settled, nothing alive.

A creaking sound called on the attention of the Titans and they all looked up. The needle, the main part of the GeoHammer, started to wobbled uncontrollable. Cracks formed on the ceiling above the needle and the Titans knew what was most likely gonna happen.

As predicted the needle broke off from the ceiling and fell straight down to the cavern floor. Upon impacted, parts of the needle exploded into fireballs and scorched pieces of metal, filling the entire bottom of the cavern in a brilliant blaze.

Parts of the ceiling near the wall started to crack. Chunks of the ceiling started to fall. Several large chunks of the rocky ceiling started to fall… right on top of the Titans.

"¡Ten cuidado!" exclaimed the twins.

The titans' eyes grew wide as they all looked up and saw the falling debris coming down on them. The Titans couldn't do anything to react except to cover their heads. They waited with eyes shut at their apparently impending doom.

Moments passed and their doom never came. The Titans slowly opened their eyes and looked up above them. The rocks that were supposed to crush them into oblivion were hanging in the air, floating through an unseen force. They all stared in amazement. Speedy smiled knowingly.

The rocks floated off to the side and fell to the bottom, away from the Titans. Another slowly falling piece of rock caught the attention of the five superheroes. As the rock came to their level, a girl, dressed in an unfamiliar fashion of yellow and black and with short blonde hair, hopped off and faced the Titans who, except for Speedy, simply lingered there and stared curiously.

"What're you all standing there like that for?" inquired Silicis, "This place is about to come down on itself. We have to get out of here, now!"

Silicis ran off and opened a nearby door. The Titans still lingered for a moment or two, turning their stares towards Speedy.

"It's a long story," said Speedy, "I'll explain later. Let's move already!"

As another large chunk of rock fell from the ceiling and crashed into the bottom, the Titans were alerted to the urgency of the situation and started to run out of the cavern through the newly opened door.

As the doors closed behind the Titans, the whole ceiling finally caved in and came crashing down into the bottom of the cavern. All the balconies and all the machinery that was present in the cavern were instantly crushed by falling rock and at the end of it all, the entire ceiling disappeared.

Calmness swept over the fallen debris. If anyone were to come in at that moment (which was practically impossible) and stand on top of the ruble, they would look straight up into the new morning.

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An hour later.

A myriad of emergency response vehicles and crew littered the base of False Vulcan, which, for the first time in it's entire history, was resembling a volcano more due to the fact that smoke was billowing out of its crater at its top.

Dawn had come, coloring the sky a hazy blue. The air was fresh and cool, the way only nature can provide out here in the woods outside Steel City. The Titans were quietly gathered among several rushing policemen, firemen, and medics. The Titans were seated on of a small rock formation allowing them to watch over the organized Chaos from below.

They've had a rough night and now it was time to rest. The cavalry has arrived and seemed to be doing a fine job of cleaning up the whole debacle.

From where they were seated, the Titans could see the entrance to the garage from which Speedy and Silicis entered from and where they all eventually exited from. Now, several officials were coming in and coming out escorting arrested HIVE soldiers who found no other choice but to give up.

A virtual train of HIVE soldiers, and a few white suited henchmen here and there, came marching out of the garage door, closely watched over by officers of the law. Some, due to injuries, where brought out by medics with stretchers.

One particular prisoner caught the attention of Aqualad who was he only one to see her. A couple of officers were escorting Fallacy out of the garage and into a nearby police van. Aqualad could see that her hands were bound with the same handcuffs that were used on him and his friends to cancel out their powers. He was briefly amused by the irony. Fallacy managed to give Aqualad a parting glance as she stepped into the police van. It was a look of utter anguish.

Moments later an officer came up to the Titans and spoke to them. "Well it looks like we've just about cleaned up the entire facility of henchmen."

"Good work, sergeant," said Bumble Bee, "We appreciate the help."

Oh, not as much as this city appreciates your help, missy. If it weren't for you, God knows what could've happened to any of us. The city, and the world, owes you a big thanks… as always."

"Just doin' our jobs," said Speedy, "and we're damn good at it too."

"Nevertheless, I thank you kids," the sergeant turned to another figure resting quietly against a tall rock behind the Titans, "And I thank you too, miss…"

"Silicis." she responded.

"Yes. Um, I may not know you so much miss, but I have a feeling that you just did us a huge favor."

Silicis gave an amused giggle. "You're quite welcome, sergeant, and don't mention it."

The sergeant was about to walk off when Silicis called his attention again. "Oh, and sergeant?"

the sergeant turned to her. "Yes ma'am?"

"Have you found anyone named Professor Chang in there?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. Even his own henchmen tell us that he escaped."

Silicis gave an exasperated sigh. "It's just as well, I guess. Thank you, sergeant."

"Much obliged," he said with one last salute and walked off.

Silicis was left to contemplate her own thoughts. It'll probably be highly unlikely that they would be able to find the Professor any time soon. And Chang will probably not show his face for quite a while to come. Still, she though, it wasn't such a big deal.

"So…" started Bumble Bee, "…Silicis, ey?"

Silicis turned to them with a slight smile. "You think it's okay?"

"Oh, yeah," said Aqualad, "I think it's cool. Right guys?"

"Sí, es estupendo," said the twins, "Y también adoramos tu nueva Mirada."

"Yeah they're right," said Bumble Bee, "I also think your new look is cool too."

"Gee, thanks guys," said Silicis with a smile, "I really appreciate it."

They all returned her smile and were content at that moment that they were all together. They were safe and sound.

"So," said Speedy, "Now that we've stopped the villain from, yet again, trying to destroy the world as we know it… what do we do now?"

Silicis looked up into the hazy blue sky. "Well, we're all still alive… I think that's a pretty good start already…"

In the distance, the sun slowly began to rise.

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Author's note: Read the epilogue.


	20. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own stuff!

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Several hours later.

The Titans were greeted with several strange sights that they weren't really expecting to see. For one thing, the tower was still standing even though the four Titans were quite sure that they watched the structure sink into the ocean. Then there was the old woman who greeted them as they came. Curious stares befell Speedy and Silicis.

After returning to the tower the titans were soon greeted by Chu-hui, the true master. Soon after that, Speedy and Silicis began answering the expected myriad of questions they were bombarded with by the rest of the team.

Silicis did most of the talking though, telling the rest of how she ended up on the beach and the amazing coincidence of meeting her (or at least Terra's) true master. She went on to tell them about inviting her back to the tower and finding Speedy there.

They were all amazed as she told them about how she managed to somehow save the tower from certain destruction all by her self. She also told them about how Speedy and her stormed the GeoHammer facilities in order to save them. She also told them about how Professor Chang somehow escaped but that didn't seem to be a big deal to them all at that moment.

Lastly Silicis told them all about her decision to leave and join her master in the Far East to finish her training. The was upset at the news for only a moment before they all started giving their best wishes. After that they simply spent the rest of the morning talking like good friends.

Silicis spent most of the afternoon packing with her new friends helping out. She did her best to only pick up the cloths she'll need. She had a lot to choose from after all. Everything else she left in the closet. By the late afternoon, it was their time to go and everyone had gathered in front of the main entrance.

"Well, looks like were going now," said Silicis, slinging a large duffle bag full of necessities over her shoulder.

"You sure you have to leave so soon?" asked Speedy, "I'm missing you already."

"Thank you Speedy, but If I get an early start, I'll finish early too."

"Well, okay if you say so…"

"Don't worry, Speedy. I'll write so that we don't stay out of touch. And thank you, Speedy, for everything you've done for me. You really knocked some sense into me back then. God knows where I would be now if it weren't for you."

"Hey, what are friends for? I'll miss you too."

Silicis gave Speedy a smile then move to Aqualad. "Aqualad, I'd like to thank you too. You reminded me that I still had a future to look forward to and that I mean something."

Aqualad smiled at her. "It's my pleasure. Glad I was able to help. And if you ever need me, I'll be here."

Silicis smiled at Aqualad then moved to Más and Menos who had a slightly forlorn expression on their faces. Silicis bent down to talk to them. "No séntete tan abajo, ti dos. Recuerda que seremos amigos siempre y que nunca podía olvidar dos sobre ti. No sería ningún lugar sin gente."

The twins, and the Titans, did a double-take on Silicis. In turn, Silicis gave a slight giggle. She was never able to tell them that she knew Spanish.

"De todos modos, se quedar fresco, bien?" continued Silicis.

"¡Sí!" exclaimed the twins.

Silicis gave them a smile them stood back up to face Bumble Bee. Silicis reached into her back pocket and took out her T-communicator and offered it back to Bumble Bee.

"Guess I should return this, now that the mission is over…"

Bumble Bee shook her head while smirking. "No, it's yours. I said that you were a part of the team, and that applies to whether you're here or half-way around the world. You've earned it…"

"…Thanks… I'll treasure it."

"Once you're done with this training of yours, remember… you'll always have a home here."

Silicis pocketed away her communicator and said her final goodbyes to the team. They all did the same thin, saying goodbyes and wishing her luck. Soon, Silicis turned and walked towards her master, Chu-hui, who was patiently waiting further down the shore.

"Are you ready?" asked the old woman.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then let us go…"

They started to leave. Silicis took one moment to look back at her friends that were waving her goodbye. She waved back at them until they were out of sight. She knew that they were also waiting for her to return. Hopefully it won't be such a long wait.

Silicis briefly looked at the setting sun. It was already late in the afternoon. The first day of her new life was coming to an end. Tomorrow will be the start of everything else. She couldn't wait for it to happen.

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Author's note: And I'm finally done! Hope you've enjoyed this disaster of a fic. Send me your thoughts and await my next whacked out story. Peace out! 


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